On A Fault Line
by sarahserenity6296
Summary: Set a year after 2.11, Stefan leaves Mystic Falls, claiming its the best thing for Elena and leaves her with Damon, Bonnie, Caroline and Tyler for protection. But a surprise leaves them unsure of exactly how to protect her. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So this chapter sets the story in motion. Tell me what you think, what you like and what you don't. Thanks!**

**-Sarah**

"Stefan," Elena calls out, leaning in the doorway of the large Salvatore Mansion. "Are you here?"

When she doesn't hear a response, she quickly steps into the house and out of the crisp, mid December air, closing the large, castle like door behind her. She walks farther into the mansion, looking around for any sign of Stefan, or even Damon for that matter. No sign of Stefan. When she reaches the living room, she expects to see Damon at the bar, pouring himself a drink or sitting on the couch with a girl between his teeth.

She finds neither.

She had gotten a text from Stefan, asking him to meet her here, so it wouldn't have made sense for him to have left. That doesn't sound like Stefan. She knows if Stefan was here, she would have already seen him. He would certainly have heard her enter the mansion.

Growing worried, she walks to his bedroom, looking around for any sign of trouble. Any reason he might not have met her at the door. She reaches the open door and peaks in. What she sees confuses her. Stefan, with his back turned to the door, putting clothes into a large bag.

"Stefan," she says, stepping into the room.

He reacts to his name, turning around to face her. The blankness in his face and eyes scares and surprises her.

"Stefan, what are you doing?" she asks, her voice sounding breathless. She steps forward, one hand out to embrace him. He steps back, rejecting her. Her heart skips a beat. What is going on?

"Elena," he says. His voice is empty, emotionless, like his face and eyes. It reminds her of Damon. "I-"

"Are you leaving?" she interrupts, her voice raising an octave.

He looks down at his feet. "Yes."

_Yes_. That one simple word stabs at her heart and she absently looks down at her chest, looking for any sign of an actual physical wound. She knows she wouldn't, but when she doesn't find one, she's surprised.

"Why?" she asks, searching in her mind for something, anything that would make him leave. She comes up blank. Katherine is in the tomb, turning into ashes by the second, Elijah hasn't been seen or heard from, in about a year, since she had made the deal with him to release Stefan from the tomb, protect her friends and family in exchange for her cooperation when the time comes and he needs her to help drawl out Klaus, the oldest known vampire hell-bent on breaking the Sun and the Moon curse, killing herself and almost everyone she loved in the process. Mystic Falls has been quiet since that night last December. No vampire, werewolf or any supernatural murder for that matter, no stray vampire had shown up causing trouble, not even _Damon_ caused any trouble. For the last year, Mystic Falls has been your normal, quiet small Virginia town.

She can't think of one reason why he would be leaving. Unless- no, Elijah wouldn't have contacted Stefan. Elijah made it very clear that night in her bedroom, it was her he needed to drawl out Klaus, not Stefan, or Damon or even Katherine. It was her.

She knows this but she can't help but ask. "Stefan, is it Elijah? Or Klaus?"

He looks at her evenly. "No, its nothing like that."

"Then what is it?" she asks, confused and desperate for answers. "Why are you leaving?"

He looks down at the floor, staring intently at something she can't see. "I just- need to leave, Elena."

"Not good enough," she says, stepping forward. "I need more than that."

He turns his back to her and continues throwing stuff into his back, almost angrily. "I can't give you anything more than that, Elena."

"Is it me?"

She watches as the muscles in his back tense and a moment later, he turns around, very slowly. His face is controlled, as is his voice. His eyes holds something she can't put a name too. A fierce emotion she has no name for. "Elena, you're in your senior year of high school. It another 9 months, you'll be off to college. Four and a half years from now, you're probably going to be writing articles for some newspaper or magazine. You're going to be living your life, growing older, moving forward. I'm not. I will always be what you see right now. When I'm in your life, you can't have a normal life."

The rush of information leaves her speechless. Of course, she knows that Stefan won't grow older and she will. She's always known that. She never worried about it. She loved Stefan and Stefan loved her. That was enough. Everything else they would figure out later, together. She had always assumed Stefan felt the same. But now….

"Why now?" she asks. "Why not a year ago? If that's the problem, why are you just now doing something about it?"

"From the time I met you, something has always been going on. Whether it was Damon or Katherine or the Tomb Vampires and a year ago Elijah, something has been going on. Keeping us all on edge, ready for a fight. I wasn't thinking ten years ahead, I was thinking of the moment, keeping you and Mystic Fall safe. The last year, nothing has happened."

"And that's a bad thing?" she challenges. The shock is wearing off and replaced by almost anger.

"Of course not," he says. "The last year has been completely normal. Nothing has happened to keep us all on edge and I've finally been able to relax and take a breath. I've had the chance to look ten years down the road."

"You don't like what you see," she says, flatly.

"When I looked down that road, I saw us."

She stares at him, wondering if this was suppose to make any sense.

"I saw the imbalance."

She scoffs. "Imbalance," she repeats, making the words sound dirty.

"Let me ask you something," he says, looking as if he was about to prove a point. "Name one thing that has changed about me since the first time you saw me."

She opens her mouth, about to shatter his little point into a million pieces.

He holds up a hand, stopping her. "One _physical_ thing."

Damn it.

She says nothing, knowing she's lost the battle.

"Exactly," he says. "You can't name anything because nothing has changed."

She crosses her arm tightly across her chest, knowing with an aching fierceness exactly how this going to end.

"Since I met you," he says, "You've grown half an inch and your hair is two inches longer. There's many more things I could name, but I think you get the point."

"So that's it?" she asks, feeling a prickling in her eyes. "After everything that's happened between us- Katherine, Damon, Elijah- you're going to leave because I'm human."

"I'm leaving for you," he says.

She shakes her, raising her hands and backing up towards the door. "If you leave, its for you."

He simply shakes his head.

She bumps the wall, stopping her retreat. "If you leave, my life isn't going to go back the way it was before you. I don't want it to. Whether you believe this or not, my life has gotten better since I've met you."

He snorts.

"I've become more myself than I've been since my parents died. When you met me, I was broken. The last year and a half hasn't broken me more. Stefan, its put me back together. I'm not a broken little girl who lost her parents anymore."

"You were never broken, Elena," Stefan says. "You were hurt, not broken. I didn't fix you. You fixed yourself. I was just there while you did."

"That's not true," she says, gritting her teeth.

He looks down at the floor. "Whatever helps you sleep at night," he says softly.

She laughs, shocked and hurt. "Don't say this is for me. Its not for me. I know whets best for me and this isn't it."

"It may not feel like that now, but at some point in the future you're going to realize-"

"Realize what Stefan?" she yells. "That my life is so much better without you? That two years from now this is all going to be just another bad memory? Fading with age? I hate to be the one to tell you this Stefan, but if you leave, all my problems aren't going to leave with you. Elijah and Klaus aren't going to disappear just because you did. If you leave, the only thing that is going to change is you being here."

Silence.

"What if a month from now Elijah comes and tells me its time?" she asks. "What am I going to do then?"

"The same thing you would do if I was here," he says. "Only-"

"How am I suppose to-" she interrupts but Stefan continues as if she hadn't spoken.

"-with Damon."

"What?"

"Damon's not leaving," Stefan says. "He's staying here to help you."

"I don't want his help," she whispers, knowing she's lost. "I want yours."

He says nothing.

She can feel it coming, the aching in her chest, the prickling in her eyes. She won't allow herself to break into a million pieces in front of him. "Someday you're going to realize how wrong you are," she whispers, know her voice would shake if she didn't.

"Someday you're going to realize I'm right," he says.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," she whispers, throwing his words back at him.

She turns on her heels, walking out the door, leaving the boy and a large piece of herself in the room behind her.

**One Month Later**

Elena is lying on Caroline's bed, watching as her friend destroys her closet, looking for something to wear.

"What about this one?" Caroline asks, holding a simple, elegant black dress up to her perfect body.

Elena sighs. They had been at this for almost two hours. "I think it'll look great."

Caroline groans and throws the dress on the floor. "You said that about the blue one, the red one and the green one!"

"Because they'll all look great too!" Elena says, running a hand through her hair, frustrated.

Caroline sinks into the light green moon chair beside her closet. "Its hopeless," she says.

Elena gets up, preparing for one of her friend speeches. "Get up," she tells Caroline.

"What?"

"Get up," Elena says. Caroline obeys, her face a question mark. Elena reaches for her hand and leads Caroline to the her vanity. Elena points to the mirror, which is littered with pictures of Caroline, Elena and Bonnie, before and after all their lives had changed. Pictures of her family and the source of all the distress is also taped to the mirror.

Elena points to one picture in particular.

"What?" Caroline asks, looking at the picture.

"What are you wearing in that picture?" Elena asks, setting the foundation for her speech.

"A red mini dress," Caroline says, sounding confused.

Elena points to another. "And in this one?"

"Jeans and a t-shirt."

"Now look at both of the pictures," Elena says, doing so herself. "Is Tyler's facial expression different in either?"

Caroline examines the picture and realization of what Elena is doing sinks in. "No," she says.

"That's because he loves you," Elena says, confidently. "He doesn't care what you wear on a date, or whether your hair is curly or straight. He loves _you_."

"I know I know," Caroline says, rubbing a hand down her face. "I just feel like I have to- oh, I don't know!"

Elena puts a comforting hand on Caroline's shoulder. "Tyler isn't the same person he was a few years ago. He's changed."

"I know, but I'm always scared he's going to become that person he was."

Elena thinks about the way she used to be before her parents died. She was always happy, involved in everything and people loved to be around her. She was involved in cheerleading, volunteering and anything else that struck her as interesting. She drew people to her without even trying. But after her parents died, she became more melancholy, withdrawn and quiet. Trivial things like prom and cheerleading no longer struck her has interesting. She wasn't the same person she had been, even if she had tried. And she had tried. She tried to be carefree, peppy, sunny Elena Gilbert. But that Elena was gone. That Elena died with her parents. Once something that life changing happens, its almost impossible to go back to the way things were.

"Do you remember the way I was before my parents died?"

"Yeah."

"After they died, I was completely different. I couldn't be happy with the things that made me happy before. It all seemed so clique and unimportant after they died. No matter how much I pretended, I changed and there was no going back."

She nods, understandingly.

"What you helped Tyler get through that first full moon, it tied you together in a way that no one can understand," Elena says. Neither Caroline or Tyler had given them much detail on that night. They had given them the basics, he began the process of changing and a few hours later he was a wolf. He stayed like that for a few hours and then he changed back. That was all they gave him. Elena knew whatever happened had been traumatizing for both of them in many different ways.

"I know," Caroline says, that look that she got whenever someone talked about the first time he changed entered her eyes.

"So what I'm saying is you aren't just another girl to him."

Caroline nods, looking a little less frantic. "I know I'm being ridiculous, I just want everything to be perfect."

"I know," Elena says. She pauses. "Its been a year hasn't it?"

Caroline bites her lip, smiling. "Yes."

"Wow," Elena says.

"I know," Caroline squeals. She gathers Elena in a hug, careful not to squeeze her too tight. When she pulls back, her face is less pinched and more excited. "Thank you so much, Elena. I really needed one of your epic speeches."

Elena laughs. "Any time. I'm full of them," she says. She glances at Caroline's closet and then at the pile of clothes on the floor. "Now, lets pick out something for you to wear."

Caroline nods, a fresh wash of enthusiasm rolling over her.

They throw themselves into finding the perfect outfit for Caroline to wear on her and Tyler's one year anniversary date. They pick out the clothes suitable for the date and matches each with the perfect jewelry, shoes and purse. After another hour, they've come up with three different options.

The first is a black, knit dress with a draped neckline and a fitted bodice, reaching just above her knees. The second is a dark blue satin strapless with a black belt just around the waist. Its tight fitting until it reaches the belt, which is where it flows out to her knees. The third- and Elena's personal favorite- is a red, bandaged style dress with upturned seams, encrusted with heaving beading. Its tight fitting, sleeveless with a low v-neck and shorter than the first two.

"I love them all," Caroline says. "Which one do you like best?"

"I like the red one," Elena says, confidently. "I think it'll look the best."

Caroline looks at the three dresses, moving from the first, to the second, to the last and back to the beginning. "You're completely right," Caroline says, picking up the red dress.

"Go try on it," Elena urges, smiling.

"Okay!" Caroline says, excitedly. She picks up the shoes, purse and jewelry they picked out to go with it and heads to the bathroom.

Elena sits down on the bed, waiting patiently. She looks around Caroline's familiar green bedroom. She smiles at the poster of Sing It Loud, Caroline's favorite band and remembers when they went to see them in concert. Caroline nearly fainted. She looks at the picture of herself, Bonnie, Caroline and Matt from freshman year, their arms wrapped around each other. She smiles when she sees the home made calendar with pictures of herself, family and other things that are interesting to Caroline.

This month is a picture of Tyler and Caroline at school, him leaning in and kissing her neck. She crosses off the days with hearts instead of X's.

With a shock, Elena looks at the date.

_No that can't be right_, Elena thinks and immediately starts counting backwards in her head.

She doesn't notice when Caroline comes out of the bathroom, looking absolutely dazzling. She does a quick turn, freezing in a pose.

"How do I look?" Caroline asks.

Elena can't answer her. She's frozen, She can't breath, let alone talk.

"Elena?"

Elena looks up at Caroline. Caroline's eyes widen at the absolute horror on Elena's face and rushes to her. "What's wrong?"

She opens her mouth but nothing comes out.

Caroline grips the top of her arms. "Elena, what's wrong?"

Elena finds her voice. "I'm pregnant," she says, horrified.

Caroline's eyes widen and they both look at each other in shock.


	2. Chapter 2

**So here's chapter 2! Sorry it took longer than I said. I'm extremely busy with studying for finals. Fun right? With that said, I'm not sure exactly when I'll update. It'll probably be a few days. So this chapter is a little shorter than I wanted it to be, but I really wanted to upload again so I promise to make the next one longer(:**

**-Sarah**

Caroline composes herself before Elena does. She puts her hand on Elena's shoulders and gives her a sympathetic look that confuses her.

"Elena," Caroline says, her voice as soft as a feather. "Honey, I know you miss Stefan and-"

Elena shakes her head, unsure of what Caroline is taking about. "What does this have to do with missing Stefan?"

Caroline gives her the same sympathetic look. "I know the last month has been rough on you whether you deny it or not. I've seen how hard its been."

"Yeah, its been hard but I don't understand what that has to do with it."

"Maybe you just think you are, you know, to feel closer to Stefan," Caroline says, looking almost guilty for suggesting it.

Elena wants to be mad at her for even suggesting it, but she knows how crazy it sounds. She doesn't believe its even possible, but she can't think of any other explanation.

"Caroline I know how crazy this sounds," Elena says, truthfully. "But listen to me. A few days before Stefan left, we had sex. I'm a week late. The dates match up."

"I understand what you're saying," Caroline says, sitting down on the bed beside Elena. "But why now? Why wouldn't you have gotten pregnant 6 months ago or a year ago?"

"I was on birth control while I was dating Matt," Elena says. "And I didn't stop taking it when I was with Stefan. I knew I didn't need to, but I still took it. When my prescription ran out two months ago, I never refilled it."

Caroline's eyes widen. "Maybe you're just late," Caroline says, even-headedly. "Its not impossible."

"I haven't been late a day in my life," Elena says.

"But you've been really stressed lately and-"

"I wasn't even late when my parents died."

Caroline scratches her forehead and blows out a breath. Elena watches as Caroline tries to think of an explanation, tries to keep a grip on reality. Elena doesn't want to believe it either, but why should it be impossible? Two years ago if someone had told Elena vampires, werewolves and witches existed, she would have laughed and labeled them insane. But maybe it isn't insane. Maybe it is possible.

_Vampires can't procreate, though we love to try_, a voice in her head echoes.

She had believed Damon one hundred percent when he had said that over a year ago in a bar in Georgia, after rescuing/kidnapping her the night she found out that she looked exactly like Katherine. Why shouldn't she? Damon is a vampire. He would know. But maybe he meant that two vampires cant procreate. That would make sense. Vampires don't change, therefore the women wouldn't be able to carry a child. Elena is human. Her body changes. She can carry a child.

"Caroline, think about it," Elena says, wanting to explain to her what she had just concluded in her head. "Damon told me that vampires can't procreate. Vampires. And that makes sense because a woman has to change to carry a child. So if a woman is a vampire, she can't get pregnant. I'm not a vampire. I'm human, I can change. I _do_ change."

She watches as her words sink in and Caroline's expression turns from uncertainty to believing. "You're right. But there's only one way to know."

"I need to go to the doctors," Elena says, fear settling in the pit of her stomach imaging her scheduling an appointment with her family doctor.

"No!" Caroline says, startling Elena. "Sorry, but you can't just go to the doctors."

"Why not?" Elena asks, eyebrows furrowed.

"If you are pregnant, that means that baby is half-vampire," Caroline says. "I don't think it's a good idea to go to a doctor."

"So I'll get a home pregnancy test," Elena says.

"Bonnie is suppose to come over in a little bit," Caroline says. "I can call her and ask her to buy one."

Elena nods. "I'll do it."

She flips out her cell phone and dials Bonnie's number, which she knows by heart. She waits impatiently as the phone rings. It rings three times before Bonnie picks it up, sounding breathless.

"Bonnie?" Elena questions.

"Oh, hey Elena!" Bonnie says, cheerfully. Elena knows instantly Luka's over. Bonnie only has that tone in her voice when he's around. They had started dating a few weeks after he had helped her destroy the moonstone and have been inseparable ever since. Elena is very happy for her friend, but she has no patience right now.

"Bonnie, how much longer until you come to Caroline's?"

"Well, Luka is about to leave at then I was going to come over," she explains.

"Can you make Luka leave now?" Elena asks, trying not to sound rude.

"Um, yeah I guess," Bonnie says, sounding surprised. "Everything okay?"

Elena ignores her question. "I need you to pick something up on the way over here."

"Okay, sure," Bonnie says. "What do you need?"

"A pregnancy test," Elena says and cringes.

She waits for a gasp, or shocked silence but Bonnie's reaction surprises her. She _laughs. _"What the heck do you need that for?"

"What its used for," Elena says, flatly.

"Elena, come on," Bonnie says, giggling. "Not possible. You know that."

"Bonnie, I'm serious," Elena says, acutely.

"You have to know this is insane, Elena," Bonnie says.

"Maybe," Elena says, "but I need you to do this for me."

Elena wait's a few seconds for Bonnie to reply. Hesitantly she says, "Okay, I will."

"And Bonnie, don't say anything about it to Luka."

"I won't. I'll be there in a little bit."

"Okay, thanks."

Elena awaits Bonnie's arrival on the couch, sipping a tall glass of icy water, with Caroline. They've been waiting there since Elena hung up the phone with Bonnie about thirty minutes ago. Elena knows she should have more patience. Bonnie is after all doing her a favor. Its just that waiting is _killing_ her. When she first discovered the possibility, she was scared to death of the true. Now she wants nothing more than to know. The uncertainty is painful.

She has no idea what's she going to do if she is pregnant. She has no experience with babies. She has not the slightest clue of how to take care of a normal human baby. If she is pregnant, she could be dealing with a whole new _species. _

"Bonnie is coming down the road," Caroline says, pulling Elena out of her silent panic attack.

"How do you know?" Elena asks, momentarily forgetting her friend is a vampire with super hearing. Elena and Caroline have been friends for so long, its easy to forget she isn't human anymore.

Caroline gives her a quizzical look.

"Oh, right," Elena says, feeling foolish. "Vampire hearing."

Caroline nods and stands up, just as Elena hears a car door slam outside of the house. Elena sets her glass of water on the end table and they meet Bonnie at the door, opening it before she has a chance to knock.

"I didn't know which one to buy so I bought four different kinds," Bonnie says before anyone gets a word out.

Caroline pulls Bonnie into the house, looking around before she closes the door, as if to make sure Bonnie wasn't followed.

Bonnie hands Elena the bag. "I think this is insane," Bonnie says. "There's no way you can get pregnant by a vampire. There just isn't."

"Two years ago there was no way vampires, witches and werewolves existed," Elena shoots back.

Bonnie bites her lip. "I know, its just this is crazy. A _vampire_ told you himself that vampires can't procreate."

Elena sighs, not wanting to repeat her theory _again. _

Thank God for Caroline. She must see the look on Elena's face for what it is because she starts explaining it herself.

"Vampires can't have children because the woman would have to change to bare the child," Caroline says, using Elena's words. "Male vampires still have the same… stuff. Elena is human so therefore, that _stuff_ could get her pregnant."

"Semen?" Bonnie asks, looking somewhat amused at Caroline's polite alteration of the word.

"Yes," Caroline says, stiffly.

Elena feels her patience running even thinner than it already way. "And that's why I think I'm pregnant."

Bonnie chewing it over is visible on her face. "Well," she says after a few seconds. "There's only one way to find out."

They all look at the plastic bag. Its scary to think the one little thing inside the bag could change Elena's life forever.

"Here I go," Elena says, nervously. She walks down the hall and into the bathroom. Bonnie and Caroline go into the living room, giving her some space.

She pulls all four tests out and reads the directions for each. They all work pretty much the same. Elena, unhappily, does what each says. She lies all four of them on its box in a row afterwards.

She glances at her clock to start timing.

As she waits, a flood of emotion comes over her. The three most powerful are nervousness, fear and anger. Nervousness and fear tie into each other. What is she suppose to do with a baby? She has no idea whatsoever on how to raise a child, let alone a half human, half vampire child. Will the baby need blood or milk? Will it have a heartbeat? Will the baby grow? Will it be a baby at all?

She is angry because she has to do this alone. Well technically not alone, but who she needs isn't here. He's nowhere to be found. Stefan should be here, panicking with her. Stefan should be here to tell no matter what happens, they'll do it together. Stefan, not Bonnie or Caroline. _Stefan_. But Stefan is God knows where doing God knows what.

All of this floats around inside her head, stinging with each thought.

She glances down at the clock. Its been three minutes. The directions said two.

With a deep breath, she picks up the first test.

_Pregnant. _

She feels the world suddenly start spinning and she grabs onto the countertop. She tries to breath normally again before she picks up the next one.

The next…

_Yes_

And the final one has two lines, meaning the same the previous three do.

She puts each test back into it's correct box and puts each box into the bag. She'll put it all in the large trashcan when she leaves, so Caroline's mom doesn't find it and assume its her who is pregnant.

When Bonnie and Caroline see Elena emerge, they jump up. "So?" Bonnie asks at the same time Caroline asks, "Are you?"

"All four positive," Elena says, not quite feeling as scared as she should be. Maybe it's the shock.

Both of their eyes widen.

"What next?" Bonnie asks.

Elena thinks about that. What _should_ she do next?

She doesn't know what she should do. But she knows what she's going to do.

"I'm going to go talk to Damon."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! I know I said I didn't know how long it would be until I updated because I was studying for finals but… I caved. Find the measure of the two secants or write Vampire Diaries? It really wasn't a hard choice. So here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy(: Review so possibly failing my finals is worth it(:**

Elena takes a deep breath before gently rapping on the Salvatore Mansion's door. She hugs herself, trying to protect her thinly clothed chest. In a rush to come, she had forgotten to get her jacket off of Caroline's bed. She wishes Damon would stop being a jerk and let her in. She's freezing.

Clearly taking his sweet merry time, a another minute passes before she bangs on the door irritably.

Finally, she hears the lock on the inside of the door before it opens.

She pushes pass Damon, irritably saying, "Take you long enough?"

"Hello, Elena," Damon says, sarcastically. "Nice to see you too. I'm fine, thank you for asking."

"Why'd you take so long?" Elena asks, welcoming the warm rush of air on her cold body. "I was freezing to death out there."

Damon gives her a once over. "Why didn't you wear a jacket?"

Elena stands up straighter. "I left it at Caroline's."

"Why?"

"Because I was in a rush," she says.

Damon smiles his famous sarcastic, cocky, irritating smile. "To see me?"

"Sort of," she says, looking around at the magnificent house as if she had never before. Its been about month since she had been here. She hadn't wanted to see the house after the last time she was here. "So why did it take you so long?"

His smile falters for just a half of a second before its back up again, just a little too wide. "I was on the phone."

Elena raises an eyebrow. "With who?" she asks, curiously. Who does Damon talk to?

"A friend," he says, casually.

Curiosity turns into suspicion. "Damon, you don't have friends."

Damon rolls his blue eyes at her. "Fine, Miss Nosy, if you must know, I was on the phone with Alaric."

"Why?" Elena asks, angry at how she feels disappointed. Like for just a second she thought it might be Stefan. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Damon raises an eyebrow at Elena's sudden mood. "We were discussing him getting some more of those handy little vervain bombs."

Elena's stomach twists in fear. "Why do you need those?" she asks, voice rising an octave.

He raises his hands in front of him. "Calm down," he says. "Its just a precaution."

"What's going on Damon?" she asks, wondering if he's lying to her.

"Nothing," he says, that easy, sarcastic mood vanishing. "That's the problem. _Nothing _is happening."

"So you think that too," she says, quietly.

"And apparently so have you," he says, raising an eyebrow.

Elena shrugs. "I just thought I was being paranoid."

He shrugs, brushing his moment of worry off.

"I just want to be prepared," Damon says, referring back to the call with Alaric. "That's all."

Elena doesn't buy it. Just that one moment of worry proves to her that there is something to be worried.

Damon sighs, realizing that Elena clearly doesn't buy it and won't give up until she's satisfied with his answer. "Like I said before, I think its just weird that nothing has happened in the last year."

Elena desperately wants to believe that nothing is happening because there is _nothing happening_ but she gave up happily ever after and fairy tales a long time ago. "But maybe nothing has happened because Elijah doesn't know where Klaus is."

Damon's face shows blatantly he doesn't believe that easy option. "Elena," he says, slowly.

"Damon this is my life," she says. "My friend's and family's lives. If you know something, tell me."

Elena watches him chew it over. Finally, he says, "I'm not worried that Elijah hasn't contacted us yet. It doesn't surprise me. Klaus is very old so naturally he isn't going to be easy to find."

"Then what are you worried about?" she asks, new fear settling in the pit of her stomach. If Damon isn't worried about Elijah, _Elijah_, who could he possibly be worried about?

"Elena, this is Mystic Falls," he says, as if that explains everything. "It's not normal for it to be normal here. Not a single supernatural anything has happened here in the last year."

She knows exactly where he's going. "Damon, what do you think happened a year ago?"

"I think someone cast some kind of protection spell over Mystic Falls," he says. "As if to say 'Do not enter.'"

"Could Elijah...?" Elijah is powerful. She knows that. But is he that powerful?

Uncertainty fills his face. "I can't know for sure, but it sounds unlikely. I think someone with... magic would be the more realistic answer."

Elena's eyes widen as she realizes what Damon is saying. "A witch," she breathes.

"There's only three known witches in Mystic Falls," Damon says.

"And Bonnie doesn't have that kind of power," Elena says. "So it would have to be Luca and his father."

"So here's the question, is Luca and his father in league with Elijah, or are there unknown witches in Mystic Falls?"

Elena woke up this morning just like any other morning. She wasn't worried about witches and lies and babies. She wasn't worried that her best friend's boyfriend might be lying about everything. She didn't wake up this morning scared of the future and pregnant. Well, technically she did but she didn't know about.

She knows that if she doesn't spill the beans soon, she won't later. _Now or never Elena, now or never._ "Damon," Elena says hesitantly. "The reason I came here..."

"Right," Damon says, that smile she hates tugging at his full lips. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

It baffles Elena how he can go from serious and worried, to a complete asshole in a split second. They were just talking about how her best friend's boyfriend may be a liar, or that a witch has gone undetected for the last year. Irritated, she says, "Not pleasure."

Damon tilts his head to the side, a polite smile on his face. She knows Damon well enough to know that the smile is more mocking than polite.

"Then to what do I owe this visit? You haven't been here once since-"He cuts off immediately and looks down. Elena sees a flash of guilt in his eyes and the anger she had just felt towards him evaporates. Elena knows that Damon really is a good person, even if he does his best to prove he isn't. She knows Damon is not the monster people believe him to be. That's why she's here right now, about to tell him what she had found out.

"I'm about to tell you something that sounds... crazy but can you just keep an open mind?" she asks, voice shaking. "Please?"

She isn't sure if it was the please or the audible shaking in her voice, but he reframes from any smart ass remark and his face is almost waits for any sign of nods.

"I'm pregnant," she says, feeling so nervous and scared she could easily pass out. Why is she so damn nervous about Damon? _Because he's the only one you can trust to help_, a voice in her mind eyes widen.

He stares at her in shock for a moment before his face flashes with anger and then is quickly shaped into that mocking, sarcastic expression that she was so afraid to see."You got over my baby brother rather quickly didn't you?" he asks, judgment in his tone. He walks to the table with the assortment of alcohol and pours himself a glass scotch.

Maybe it's because she's scared, or because her world is falling apart, or that the one person she thought could help her is looking as if she's just some stupid, promiscuous girl, that her eyes start to water and she suddenly wants more than anything to go home, fall into her bed and cry like a baby.

She hugs herself, tightly, as if that'll keep her together until she is by herself. "I haven't had sex with anyone since Stefan," she says, desperately trying to hold in what she knows is scoffs.

"Vampires can't procreate, Elena," he says, condescendingly.

"Well apparently they can," she snaps. Good job, get angry so you won't cry. But damn it the way he's looking at her makes her want to burst out in tears. Why the hell did she come here? She should have known this was a bad idea. Damon doesn't care.

"You know what? Forget I ever came," she says. "I thought that I could come to you, but I know better now. I'll figure it out on my own."

She turns on her heels and heads towards the door. Safely hidden from Damon, tears begin to stream down her face in torrents.

He's in front of her suddenly, having used his supernatural speed. She should have known.

She looks down at the floor, embarrassed.

"Elena," he says, in the tone she's only heard a few times. It's a mixture of softest and emotion that she had only heard in his voice while talking to her.

She refuses to look up an meet his penetrating blue gaze.

Ever so softly, he touches her cheek where a tear is rolling down. When she doesn't jerk away, he lifts her chin up gently with his finger. His touch is gentle but she knows how much of his strength he's using. She has no choice but to look at blue eyes that are filled with more emotion than she's ever seen in them. Softness, worry, kindness, protectiveness. She allows herself to take comfort in them.

"Why did you come here today Elena?" His words can be taken as rude, but the softness of his tone gives them another meaning.

"Because I didn't know where else to go," she says, honestly. Jenna? No. Jenna doesn't know about anything supernatural. She couldn't help her. Jeremy? What would he do? Alaric? Maybe, but he still couldn't help her that much. That left her with Damon.

"Why did you come here?" he repeats, not accepting her first answer.

"Because I don't think anyone else can help me," she says, not sure exactly what he wants from her.

He simply shakes his head, rejecting her answer.

"Because I trust you to help me more than I do anyone else," she tries. The second the words escape her lips she knows that's the answer he wanted, he needed.

He looks pleased enough with her answer. "You trust me?" he asks.

Feeling as if she's on an emotional rollercoaster, she nods.

His eyes soften and surprising both of them, he places a hand behind her veil of chocolate brown hair and pulls her into him, hugging her. She's stiff at first, but then she rests against him. She begins to cry and he simply smoothes her hair and whispers nonsense into her ear.

Standing there, with his arms wrapped around her, its the safest she's felt in a long time.

**So that's it for this update. Hope you enjoyed. If you noticed any mistakes or a sentence that just didn't make sense, I apologize. I typed this up in three different places and when I uploaded it, everything was extremely jacked up. I think I fixed it all but if I didn't, I apologize.**


	4. Chapter 4

Elena sips a warm cup of tea, wrapped up in a blanket, on the couch, watching the fire lick at the inside of the stone fireplace.

After her mini breakdown, Damon had convinced her to stay there for awhile until she calmed down and they would discuss what to do next. It made Elena feel relieved when he had "what we're going to do next" instead of "what you're going to do next." It showed her that Damon really would be there for her, to help her how he knew best.

"Do you need anything else?" he asks, startling her.

She jumps.

"Sorry," he says and sits down on the couch beside her.

"Its okay," she says. "And no, I'm fine. Thank you."

He nods and silently watches the fire, looking as if his mind is somewhere far, far away. Some place Elena doesn't know and probably never will.

She watches his pale blue eyes, the red of the flames reflecting in them, making it look as if his eyes are burning. Elena wishes she had the ability to read Damon's mind, to see what really goes on behind those blue eyes of his. He tries so hard to come across as, well, a dick and usually lives up to it, but in rare moments like these she see's something more in Damon. Something deeper and something real. It makes her wonder if they had met before he became a vampire what he would be like.

She sighs, though, knowing she'll never truly know.

"I know a doctor," Damon says, suddenly. "I can call her tomorrow, if you want. She knows all about vampires so she'll be able to help more than any other doctor."

"Yeah, sure," she says, breathing a sigh of relief. That had been one of her biggest worries, actually finding someone who could help.

"Elena," Damon says, hesitantly. "You know there are no guarantees in this, right? We can't be sure that everything is okay with the… baby."

"I know," she says, fear settling in her stomach. "I've thought about it."

"It could… hurt you," he says, his voice lowering and his eyes darkening at the thought of something hurting her.

She looks down at the tea, avoiding his dark gaze. "It's a baby Damon," she says, softly.

"A baby whose father is a vampire," Damon points out.

She sighs and runs a hand through her hair. "Yeah, I know."

He senses her frustration and quickly says, "This woman I know… she's the best. If she can't help, no one can."

While that does make Elena feel better, something else still lingers underneath the surface… "Damon, I have to ask you something."

He nods. "Okay."

"And you won't lie to me?"

"No."

"Will you give me your word you won't lie?" Elena asks, knowing he would never break his word.

He hesitates a second before saying, "Elena Gilbert, I give you my word I won't lie to you."

Satisfied, she says, "Damon, do you know where Stefan is?"

His face suddenly becomes blank, completely unreadable. "No," he says, toneless. "I don't know where he is."

Elena raises an eyebrow. "Damon, are you lying to me?"

Damon shoots her a semi serious dirty look. "No, I gave you my word didn't I?" he asks, sounding offended by her accusation.

Elena sighs, a headache coming on. She desperately wants Damon to know where Stefan is, so he could call Stefan and tell him everything that's going on. If Damon did, would Stefan come back? The whole reason he left was to give her a normal life. This certainly isn't heading in that direction. Quite the opposite actually.

"Yes, you did," she says, sulkily.

His harsh expression softens and he hesitantly reaches on to touch her hand, lying on the couch beside her.

She looks down at their hands, debating whether to pull back or not. She knows Damon has feelings for her, its obvious. It always has been. And she has feelings for Damon too. She cares about Damon, even when he does horrible things. She can't explain, she just does. Maybe its all the times he's saved her life, or Stefan's or other people she cares about. Damon's always been a pain, but she feels safe with him. She decides not to pull back her hand.

"Elena, if I knew where Stefan is, I'd drag him by the hair back here to make him take responsibility for knocking you up," he says. By the ending, he's smiling widely, lightning the mood.

Elena rolls her eyes but smiles at him. "You make it sound like we were two cliché teenagers and he ran away from fatherhood."

Damon shrugs, smirking. "What can I say? I feel somewhat responsible."

Elena raises an eyebrow, interested in this one.

"I guess I should have given Stefan the birds and the bees talk sooner," he says, mock seriousness on his face.

Elena rolls her eyes, picks up a pillow and throws it at him.

He catches it, shaking silently with laughter.

She shakes her head at him and sips the now cold tea.

They both stare at the fire in silence, each thinking of the exact same thing.

"You can stay here tonight," Damon says after a little while. "I'll call the doctor early tomorrow and we'll go."

She nods, agreeing. "I'll just call Jenna and tell her I'm staying at Bonnie's."

He nods.

"Damon?"

"Elena?"

"Thank you."

**Hope you enjoyed. Sorry its kind of short. I wanted to go ahead and update. Review(:**


	5. Chapter 5

**Surprise! Hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you all so much for all the favoite and alerts! It really means a lot ot me! Review please(:**

Dim morning light streams in through the dark curtains, casting the room in a dark red glow. Elena rolls on her side and snuggles deeper into the covers, willing sleep to come back. The clock on the nightstand says 7:22 A.M. and with the previous day and night's events rushing back, she isn't ready to get up. Twenty minutes later, sleep still hasn't come so she gives up on that idea and rolls onto her back, letting her mind wonder aimlessly. If she hadn't woken up here, she would have thought that all of yesterday was just a dream. But she hadn't woken up in the Salvatore house in over a month, so she knows yesterday wasn't a dream, but reality.

She still isn't sure exactly how she feels about everything. The initial shock of being pregnant has wore off but now there are tons of other things to worry about, like is she even ready to be a mom? Can she raise a baby? Can she raise a half _immortal_ baby? And then what about the actual baby? Damon had said it himself last night, there's no guarantees about any of this.

Loads of questions, but no answers.

Elena wanted kids when she was little. She use to make up a diaper bag, filling it with bottles, diapers, clothes, toys and everything a baby could possibly need. She use to dress up her favorite baby doll and put her in a stroller, always making Matt push it around, bag hitched over his five year old skinny shoulder.

She smiles at the memory.

But after her parents died, a lot of her dreams died along with them, like writing and children.

She wonders if her parents were here what they would say. She knows they would be furious and think they had been irresponsible. But she knows they would help her no matter what. But happens when they found out the baby was half vampire? Would they still be as supportive? Or would they label the child as a monster?

There she goes with all the questions with no answers.

Sighing, she gets out of bed and wraps a blanket around her shoulders. She cracks the door and peaks out, looking for any sign of Damon. She doesn't see him, so she steps out, and ventures down the hallway to his room. The door is open but no sign of Damon. She walks through the hallway, not glancing twice at Stefan's room. Before deciding Damon left to get something, she stops at the top of the stairs and strains to hear.

Damon is talking low into the phone and she recognizes a dangerous tone in his voice, the tone he uses when he's either very mad or threatening someone.

Her eyes widen and she strains harder to hear exactly what he's saying.

"I know," he hisses. "But you still owe me a favor."

He pauses for their response.

"Don't start with me," he says. "You said anything I ever needed, you'd do. I need this. Now. Not later. _Now_."

After a few minutes, he says, his tone less harsh, "If you do this, your little debt is repaid. Forgotten."

A few seconds later, sounding satisfied, he says, "I'll be there in just a little while."

Elena wonders if that had been the doctor and her stomach flips nervously. If it was, they didn't sound very happy about helping her.

She walks down the stairs and Damon is suddenly in front of her.

She jumps.

"Good morning Elena," he says, smiling.

She can't tell if its his usual, sarcastic smile or just a regular smile.

"Who was on the phone?" she asks, not wanting to waste any time.

He raises an eyebrow. "Listening were we?"

She shrugs.

"It was the doctor," he says, his smile firmly intact. "She's expecting us in an hour. Can you get ready in that time?"

She ignores his question. "From what I heard, it didn't sound like she was too excited to see us."

His smile fades. "Me. She's not too excited about seeing me."

She raises an eyebrow. "What'd you do Damon?"

"Why do you just assume I did something?" he asks, sounding hurt.

She rolls her eyes. "Because you're Damon Salvatore?"

He shrugs, mock hurt gone. "True."

"So what'd you do?"

"I might have… had an intimate relationship with her daughter," he says, shrugging.

"You mean you had sex with her?" Elena asks, crossing her arms over her chest underneath the blanket.

"Yes," he says, holding up his hands in front of him. "But in my defense, she was of age and threw herself at me."

Elena rolls her eyes at him. "You're over a century and a half old. That's beyond a pedophile."

He narrows his blue eyes at her. "Don't look at me with those judgy little eyes. You have no room to talk."

She shakes her at him, not about to get into this argument. She turns around and begins to head to the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

She turns around, face blank. "You said she was expecting us in an hour. I'm going to go get ready."

As she walks up the stairs, she wonders if she's being bipolar or if Damon really is just that obnoxious.

Elena is in the shower for less than ten minutes before she shuts off the hot water.

She cusses quietly, remembering she hadn't grabbed any towels.

She squeezes her hair out and steps out of the shower. Much to her surprise, she sees two white towels, one much larger than the other. She hadn't heard Damon even come in. That's an uncomfortable thought.

She wraps her long, dark hair in the smaller towel and her body in the larger one.

She steps out of the bathroom and on the bed, she recognizes some of her clothes that she had left. After Stefan left, she had never come back to get any of her stuff.

She grabs a dark pair of jeans and a thick white shirt, remembering she had forgotten her jacket.

After putting her clothes on, she goes into the bathroom, praying there is a blow dryer.

There is and she wonders if there is anything this house doesn't have.

Ten minutes later she finds one things it doesn't.

A straighter.

Sighing at her wavy hair, she grabs her toothbrush that she thankfully had also left, brushes her teeth and heads downstairs.

Damon's sitting on the couch in front of the fire place, a drink in hand.

"I'm ready," she says.

He glances over at her. "You don't want to eat something before we leave?"

She shakes her head. "I'm not hungry."

He gets down, downs the rest of his drink and sets it on the table.

He reaches into the pocket of his leather jacket and tosses something at her.

She catches it and reads it.

It's a cereal bar.

She looks at him, eyebrows raised.

"Eat," he says in a no nonsense tone.

She contemplates arguing with him but doesn't really feel like getting into a heated discussion so she unwraps it, walks to the kitchen to throw out the wrapper and goes back to where Damon is.

He gives her a pointed look, arms crossed tight over his chest.

She sighs and takes a bite of it.

He nods, satisfied. He grabs something off the couch and hands it to her.

It's a black leather jacket.

"Lets go."

Twenty minutes later (thanks too quite a lot of speeding) they pull into a long driveway, surrounded by trees and wildlife. She can't see the end of the gravel driveway and she idly wonders exactly who this woman is.

She stays silent though and waits patiently.

A few minutes later, she finally sees a house coming into view.

She sucks in a breath as she sees it.

It's a white Victorian style home with a huge porch, which has a large variety of flowers and smaller plants. It looks old, but the flowers splashes it with a color that takes her breath away.

"Wow," she breaths.

"I know."

She watches the flowers grow closer and closer before Damon stops the car and they're right in front of them.

While she's staring at the house in awe, Damon uses his supernatural speed to go to the passenger side and open Elena's door.

Elena unhooks her seatbelts and steps out of the car. "Thanks," she says, looking at the bees buzzing around the flowers.

"Hello," a woman's voice says, breaking Elena's hold on the flowers.

She turns to see a middle aged woman with startling curly red hair, piled artfully on the top of her head walking down the steps and to them. Her ivory skin has few wrinkles and smile lines show around her mouth. The woman is startlingly beautiful.

"Hi," Elena says, stepping forward with her hand out.

The woman reaches out and the second their skin touch, a rush of electricity goes through Elena's body, causing her to gasp and her eyes widen. She feels it start in her fingers, to her hands, through her wrist, up her arm, before spreading to the next arm, going down and then rushing through the rest of her body.

Strong arms wrap around her waist and yank her away from the hand, just as her knees collapse below her.

She gasps, feeling like her breath had been knocked out of her.

Damon supports her weight easily with one arm against his chest.

"Was that really necessary?" Damon asks, sounding annoyed at the red haired woman.

The woman shoots him an equally annoyed glance before looking back at Elena, a curious look on her face.

"She looks exactly like Katherine," the woman says, sounding awed. Even surprised, her voice is full of authority and power. It makes Elena respect her instantly.

"She's the doppelganger," Damon says.

"I see that," the woman says.

"I still don't see how that was necessary," Damon says, referring to the weird meeting.

The woman looks at him, a sarcastically pleasant smile on her face. The smile reminds Elena of Damon's.

"Lord only knows what you'd bring to me Damon Salvatore," she says, raising an eyebrow. "I wasn't about to take any chances."

"You're a witch," Elena realizes, her voice sounding breathless.

The woman smiles at her. A real smile, not the smile she had given Damon. "I am," she says. "And you're a human."

Elena nods.

"Tell me why you're here, honey," she says, eyeing Damon's arm, which is still around Elena's waist.

Damon notices it too and releasers her, but keeps an hand close just in case she needs it.

"You didn't tell her?" Elena asks, looking over he shoulder at Damon.

He shakes his head.

She turns back to the woman. "I'm pregnant," she says. "By a vampire."

She waits for the woman to scoff and say not possible, like every else had.

She shoots Damon a hard look.

"Don't look at me," Damon says. "Its not mine."

She woman raises an eyebrow, confused.

"Stefan's the father," Elena says.

"Stefan?" she asks, confused.

"My little brother," Damon says.

"I didn't know you have a brother," she says.

"Now you do."

"And where is he?"

"Wouldn't we like to know?" Damon says, darkly.

"He left town about a month ago," Elena says.

She nods and motions for them to follow her.

"Come inside and we'll get started," she says, opening the door.

Elena looks back at Damon, whose a step behind her.

"Its okay," Damon says, quietly. "I trust her."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Sorry its been awhile since I've updated. I've had to study for finals, which I passed all of (thank you god). So this chapter answers the question about why the doctor owes Damon. Thank you all so much for the reviews, story alerts, favorites etc! You have no idea how much it means to me. Now that finals are done, I will be updating much more often. Don't forget to review(:**

**-Sarah**

Elena and Damon follow the woman, who introduces herself as Robin Callaway, into the Victorian style house.

The inside is just as Elena imagined: pale walls covered in antiques and family photos, wooden floors, pale colored furniture with various frays and picks, showing that they've been lived on, old, expensive looking rugs and antique looking tables. The inside looks old, like its been lived in, but it all wraps together in a very elegant, exquisite way. Old or not, this house is gorgeous, inside and out.

Elena can easily imagine herself living in a house like this after high school and college, with her own family photos and antiques, collected over time. Her own pale colored furniture and rugs. She can see having children grow up here, and years and years away, her grandchildren coming here and playing.

For just a moment, she see's her entire life in a house like this.

After college, she would buy a house just like this one, shop at old antique shops for just the right furniture, fixing it all up when she isn't writing an article for a newspaper. She sees herself dating and then years later marrying the perfect man outside underneath an oak tree, surrounded by friends and family and flowers. Later on, she sees herself and this brown haired, green eyed man bringing home a baby boy or baby girl. She sees the baby growing, first day of kindergarten and so on. She sees her baby having babies and bringing home her grandchildren to come play in her home. She'd bake them cookies and tell them stories of their mom or dad's life growing up.

She can see it all for just a moment and she is irrevocably happy with the imagine in her mind. And then just like it appeared, it disappears, along with that feeling of happiness.

Reality: she's eighteen, pregnant, no money, no job, no boyfriend of any kind, no idea what she's going to do, has no idea if her baby is normal, healthy and to top it off, the only person she can really count on to help her is said baby's departed father's slightly homicidal brother, who may or may not love her. Oh, not to mention an Original vampire wants her and her loved ones for a sacrifice to break the Sun and the Moon curse. On top of _all_ of that: she is in the debt of another very powerful vampire as bait to drawl out said Original vampire.

God, she is like an episode of 16 and Pregnant: Mystic Falls style.

Maybe she should just leave. Leave Mystic Falls, leave her family, her friends, her problems. But no, that would help nothing. If she thought leaving this place would set her and her loved one's free, she'd walk away and never look back.

But nowhere on this planet can keep her- the _beloved_ doppelganger- safe from Klaus and Elijah. Not to mention the baby. No way can she do this on her own.

Maybe she won't have to worry about anything. Maybe she'll die from stress first.

A soft hand touches her and she jumps, pulled from her gray lined mind.

Damon's looking down at her, worried blue eyes looking deeper into her than she likes.

If Stefan's the brooding one, then Damon's the passionate one. And not just sexual. Those blue eyes of his can burn you without him even trying.

"Are you all right?" he asks, lowly.

"I'm fine," Elena says, looking up at him.

He raises an eyebrow at her.

She feels hot and itchy underneath his intense gaze. Like his icy blue eyes are looking deeper into her than anyone else has before. Like they're burning into her, caressing a part of her that no one else has. She can't decide whether she likes it or not.

Leaning towards the latter, she looks for an escape from his burning gaze.

She looks around and finds it.

"Is that your daughter, Dr. Robin?" she asks, walking to a large picture on the wall in a golden frame.

She knows the answer immediately. Of course its her daughter. The girl looks just like her. Same long, curly red hair, ivory colored skin and blue eyes. There are only some small differences between them like the girl has a heart shaped face and a smaller, straighter nose than her mother. The girl is beautiful and for a second she can't blame Damon for being attracted to her.

Oh no. She forgot what happened between Damon and the girl when she asked the question.

She can tell by the silence she brought up a sore subject.

"Sorry," Elena says, blushing deeply.

"Yes, that's my daughter," Dr. Robin ask, shooting a look at Damon that could truly kill. Elena half expected Damon to fall on the floor, having an aneurism.

"She looks just like you," Elena says. She vaguely wonders what her dad looks like. She doesn't see any pictures of him on the wall.

Dr. Robin smiles, looking from Damon to the picture on the wall of them on the beach, hair blowing, smiling, arms wrapped around each other like they're best friends.

"Her name's Emily."

"How old is she?" Elena asks, curiously. She can't help but be a little nosy. She wants to know why she owed Damon and how it wrapped into her daughter, who Damon apparently slept with. This seems the best way to open that up.

"She's seventeen in the photo," Dr. Robin explains. "She's 22 now. She goes to Duke University in North Carolina. She wants to be a doctor."

"Smart girl," Elena notes.

Dr. Robin shrugs, trying to be casual, but the pride radiating from her is obvious. "Like mother like daughter."

Elena is still dying of curiosity. She desperately wants to know why Dr. Robin owes Damon.

"I don't want to be nosy," Elena says, slowly. "But why are you helping me?"

"I'm a doctor," she says. "Its my job to help you."

Elena looks down at her toes, feeling embarrassed. "You could easily have told Damon no when he called you. Why'd you say yes?"

Dr. Robin sighs. "Elena, years ago Damon helped Emily and I in a way you just can't imagine. When Damon called, though I wasn't exactly happy to be contacted by him, I knew I had to help you."

"How'd he help you?" Elena asks.

"Emily, myself and her father use to live Richmond. Her father was a business, he traveled a lot. We met when we were in high school and fell heels over head in love our senior year. Right after high school, we got married, against everyone's warnings. A few year later, Emily came along and we were a perfect, happy little family. I became a doctor so we certainly had enough money to be comfortable. But as the years progressed and Emily got older, I noticed something I never had about Richard. He liked to drink. A lot. I always knew he drank, but I never saw him have more than one or two glasses."

Elena listens to the story picturing everything as she says it.

"One night, he didn't show up after work at his usual time. Hours passed and we never got a phone call and he didn't answer his phone. Emily was around thirteen at this time and she had school the next morning, so she was already in bed by the time he came home. He was completely wasted. He could barely stand up. I of course asked where he had been and he shrugged it off like it was no big deal. We got into to a fight and I could see how upset he was getting. But I didn't care. Well, after another few minutes, he hit me."

Elena's eyes widen. She glances to Damon, whose staring off into space.

"I was shocked of course. Richard had never raised a hand to me. The next morning he apologized and said it would never happen and the usually. What anyone would say. I told him if he ever drank again that I would Emily and my things and we would disappear. I should have left right then, but I didn't want to take Emily away from her father. I didn't want her to grow up without a father. He believed me and for months he didn't drink. Not once."

"But he did it again didn't he?" Elena asks, quietly.

She nods sadly. "One night the exact same thing happened. I tried to leave, I really did. But he said if we left, he would find us and kill us both."

"Oh, my god," Elena whispers. Elena knows things like this happened, but growing up in such a stable home, she never really imagined what it would be like.

"Eventually Emily put two and two together. Why mom and dad were always yelling and why the next day mom would have bruises. She began to resent him and she begged me to leave. She said she would call the cops or tell a teacher. Anything if we could just leave. She told me she hated him and that she would kill him if she got the chance.

"I talked to my sister in North Caroline about us coming to stay with her. I didn't tell her details but she expected it. She told Emily to call her and tell her if he laid a finger on either one of us after she called the cops. Emily may have been a just a little girl, but she was brave and determined.

"The night before we were suppose to leave for my sister's house, he came home, drunk of course. Somehow he had found out about what we were going to do and he was furious. It was worse than it had ever been. He beat me until I could barely stand. Emily got a lamp off the table and threw it at him, trying to stop him. It only made him madder and he went to Emily. He'd never hit her before. Not once. Seeing him hit her made me snap. I grabbed the heaviest thing I could find and hit him over the head with it. I grabbed Emily and we ran out of the house.

"We didn't try to find the keys. We ran and ran until we couldn't anymore. We had gone into some deserted parking lot by these old abandoned apartment buildings. It didn't take long before we saw the car. We tried to hide but he saw us. He got out of the car and I knew he was going to kill us."

Elena glances at Damon, a dark look in his eyes.

"But he didn't," Elena says.

"He didn't get the chance to," Damon says, darkly. "I was nearby and I could smell the blood. It was faint but I could still smell it. I followed the scent, curious. I saw what happened and I immediately intervened. Monster or not, humanity gone or not, I was raised to protect, respect and defend women and children. I wasn't going to stand their and let it happen."

Elena stares at Damon, awed.

She knows in that second, Damon never lost his humanity. He just buried it deep enough to let people think it was gone.

"I wasn't scared of him," Dr. Robin says, looking at Damon. For the first time, Elena sees appreciation on her face. "I knew that he wasn't normal. His speed and strength alone proved that to me. But I wasn't scared of him. I was too grateful."

"She didn't know what I was, or even who she was at that time," Damon explains.

"If I had known what I could do," Dr. Robin says. "Richard would have disappeared long before that night. I was adopted though, so I wasn't aware. I was never taught."

"So what happened?" Elena asks, knowing the answer.

A smile pulls on Damon's lips, his icy blue eyes dark and cold. "I made him disappear," he says simply.

"He was labeled as a missing person," Dr. Robin says. "We moved in with my sister and I was fully aware of what I could do now. A year later, we moved into this very house. Emily was forced to grow up. She wasn't a kid anymore. She had seen too much. She was now fully aware of the supernatural world around her."

"Why didn't you just compel them Damon?" Elena asks, curiously.

"I could have," he say. "I would have but she was a witch. I knew it would be good to have a witch on my side."

Dr. Robin rolls her eyes at him. "Yes, I am forever in your debt."

Damon smiles, wickedly.

"Excuse me for being nosy again," Elena says. "But exactly why don't you like Damon now?"

She figures that was politer than asking exactly when did Emily and Damon meet again to sleep with each other.

Dr. Robin sighs. "Emily and Damon bumped into each her freshman year of college and Emily showed her gratefulness in a way I don't exactly approve of."

"Ah," Elena says, deciding to drop the conversation.

"So when Damon called me, as much as I would have loved to tell him to go to hell and never call me again, I knew I owed him."

"I'm glad you decided to put what happened behind you and help me," Elena says, truly grateful. "I wouldn't have any idea what to do if you hadn't."

"No worries, dear," she says. "And now returning to the presence, shall we begin?"

The same nervousness settles in Elena's stomach and she nods.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry this took longer than I expected. I've had a baaaaaad case of writer's block. Its all good though now(: Review((:**

Elena gapes at the site before . Robin's basement has quite literally been transformed into a hospital room, complete with a hospital bed, a gray padded examining table just like at the doctor's office, rows upon rows of clear cabinets, medical supplies like gauze pads and syringes peaking out. A long cabinet stretches from corner to corner, littered in an organized manner with more medical supplies and medical papers. A filing cabinet peaks out from the corner and Elena wonders just how many patients Dr. Robin has had. She recognizes an ultrasound machine in the corner underneath a stethoscope connected to the wall from various movies and TV shows.

"Talk about bringing your work home with you," Damon says.

"What can I say Damon?" Dr. Robin asks. "I treat a wide variety of patients, not all being human and able to go the hospital."

"Good for me," Elena says, giving Damon a "Be nice" look.

She surveys the room, getting familiar with it. She'll certainly spend enough time here in the next 8 months or so. Mind as well get familiar now.

"Elena," Dr. Robin says, voice transitioning into doctor mode. "If you'll have a seat on the examining table I'm going to ask you a couple of questions and then we'll get started."

Elena takes a deep breath and walks to the table, sitting on it.

Dr. Robin picks up a clip board and sits down on the chair, wheeling herself closer to Elena.

"Alright Elena," she says. "Let's begin. When was the first day of your last period?"

Elena has counted to this day so many times, she knows it by heart. She doesn't skip a beat trying to think. "December 3rd."

Damon stands as still as a statue, arms crossed tight over his chest and watches Elena and the doctor. No expression, no comments, no emotion radiating from his body. Moments like these are when Elena can see how not human Damon is, even though she already knows that. If a random person off the street saw him at this moment, they might not know exactly what he is, but they would know it isn't natural. A normal human being can't be that motionless. Its impossible.

She writes that down and doesn't look up as she asks, "Vomiting?"

"Yes."

"Light headedness?"

"Yes."

"Fatigue?"

"Have your breasts been sore at all?"

Elena blushes and keeps her eyes locked tight on Dr. Robin, not allowing her gaze to stray to Damon.

"Yes."

"Alright," she says, lowering the clipboard to her lap. "We can try to do an ultrasound but I can't give you a 100% guarantee that we will be able to seen anything. Or I can drawl blood and ship it to the hospital, but you won't get that back for a couple of days at best."

"Why won't an ultrasound work?" Elena asks.

"If you are pregnant-"

"The test said she was," Damon interrupts, eyebrows furrowed.

Elena and Dr. Robin both turn to him. "Yes, but there are such things as false positives Damon. Its just double checking."

Damon nods, slipping back into his statue like pose.

Elena tears her gaze away from Damon and looks back at Dr. Robin, waiting for her to continue what she was saying before he interrupted.

"As I was saying," Dr. Robin says, giving Damon a pointed look; a look he ignores and continues to stare at Elena, an unreadable look on his face "If you are pregnant you can't be more than a little over 4 weeks so we may not be able to see anything on the screen."

Dr. Robin notices Elena's panicked look and quickly adds, "But of course, that's not uncommon."

Elena nods.

"If you'll just lie back on the examining table we can get started."

Elena does, resting her head against the puffy, comfortable pillow. She watches as Dr. Robin gets up, clipboard in hand and walks to a cabinet, setting the clipboard down and opening the glass door to reach in and grab a bottle of something, all the while feeling Damon's piercing gaze on her. Dr. Robin walks back over and begins messing with the ultrasound machine. Elena waits with little patience as Dr. Robin uncaps the bottle she had gotten from the cabinet.

"This gel will help me to get a better look of what's happening in there," she explains. "If you'll just lift your shirt it we'll get started."

Elena takes off Damon's jacket and he takes it without a word. She lifts her shirt, only stopping when her bra was in danger of showing, all the awhile thankful that she wore low rise jeans. She would not have been happy having to pull down her pants, even the smallest amount.

"This may be a little cold," Dr. Robin says. She squirts some of the clear jell on her stomach and Elena jumps slightly.

"Sorry."

She picks up the ultrasound probe and places it on Elena's still flat stomach.

The three of them watch anxiously- thought not everyone of those three will dare admit it- as a image begins to form on the TV like screen. It makes no sense to Elena. All she sees is different shades of gray, nothing more nothing less. Dr. Robin moves it all around her stomach, staring at the screen intently. Elena glances at Damon, who is staring at the screen, eyebrows mashed together. She wonders if he understand what he sees or if he is just as confused as Elena is.

Dr. Robin stops moving and studies the screen.

After a painful few minutes, she breaks the thick silence.

She points to one spot in the screen, where there is a slight color change. A lighter color, lighter than the surrounding gray.

"Do you see that?" she asks.

"Yes," Elena says.

"That's your baby."

Elena's eyes widen and she looks closer at the little blob on the screen. That blob is her baby.

She can't speak. Even if she could she wouldn't know what to say. She knew she was pregnant when she came to this house. It shouldn't have this amount of effect on her. The only explanation Elena can think of is actually seeing it has shocked her past words. Its one thing reading a word, its another seeing it.

Dr. Robin presses a few buttons and seconds later, Elena hears a noise. Like a printer printing a picture. Funny. Elena hadn't noticed a printer when she entered the room.

"I'll just save this into my database and we'll finish up," she says.

Elena nods, not yet trusting her voice.

After finishing up, Dr. Robin wipes the stuff off of Elena's stomach and Elena sits up, happy to be unexposed again.

Elena watches Dr. Robin fuss around the room, reaching into different cabinets and pulling out a small box, pulling something out a drawer, going to the corner of the room where a printer sits beside an expensive looking computer.

She walks back over and hands Elena three things: a box of prenatal vitamins, a business card that has her number on it and a photo of the ultrasound.

"Take one of the vitamins once everyday," she says. "I know Damon has my number, but you need it too. If you ever have any questions don't hesitate to call. I want you to come back here in two weeks, unless you feel like you need to come back before. And we'll go from there."

Elena nods. "Alright."

"Do either of you have any questions?" she asks, looking between Elena and Damon.

They both shake their heads.

Minutes later Elena sits in the passenger aside seat of Damon's car, watching him and the doctor talk lowly. She wonders what they're talking about, though she's sure it is her. The doctor glances at her every couple of seconds and Elena fidgets, not happy that they don't feel comfortable talking to her about her.

After another few minutes, Dr. Robin goes back inside and Damon gets into the car, not saying a word about what they had been talking about.

"Ready?" Damon asks.

Elena nods and they drive back to Mystic Falls in silence, all the while Elena imaging what they had been talking about, though she didn't ask.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone! So writer's block is beyond gone and I want to apologize for the last chapter. I reread it after posting and realized how crappy of a job I did on it. There wasn't enough detail and I should have spent more time on it. I was trying to update so I rushed and it didn't work out all that well. I didn't really want to delete the chapter and rewrite it, so I'm just going to let that be the one crappy chapter in the story. So hopefully this chapter will make up for it. Thank you all so much for the reviews! At the risk of sounding corny, your feedback really does mean the world to me. LOL. So I read the chapter when Elena and Damon first went to the doctor's house and I realized a huge mistake on my part:/ I spent like all this time describing all the flowers and plants and then I realized its winter in the story:/ So if you can just ignore that, that'd be awesome.**

**So Damon's kind of mushy and not very Damon like in this chapter, but it leads up to something in the next couple chapters so I had to do it XP. Read, review(:**

The ride back to Mystic Falls is not one of comfort.

The entire drive Elena struggles with internal feelings; the same feeling she had been struggling with for the last 24 hours: confusion, shock, more confusion, worry and even a touch of anger. The latter is less than the other emotions, so Elena decides to overlook it for the time being. She needs to focus on the now, not on the past or the "what could have been." She needs to focus on figuring out how she plans on handling this. She has no idea where to go from here, which is why it needs to be the focal point of all her energy.

She struggles to come up with a plan. Two years ago, where everything was normal and vampires were just fiction, Elena, Bonnie and Caroline had always made plans. Whether it was to go to a party, extend a curfew or get a boy, a plan was thought out, drawn out and played out. The three of their devious minds put together never failed them. Their plans always ended the way they wanted them to. Of course, then her parents died and months later they were all thrown into the supernatural world and plans about parties, boys and curfews were no longer important.

Elena knows she needs to get back in that mind set. She needs to make a plan.

The rest of the ride home she begins drawing up plans in her mind. The most obvious one is how she is going to tell Jeremy and Jenna. That is a big one. She can only hide it for so long.

She supposes she could just flat out tell them; just sit them down and say, "I'm pregnant." She doesn't think that would work out so well though. Maybe she should tell Jeremy before she told Jenna. After all, their reactions would probably be different. Jeremy would know exactly how shocking and next to impossible is was. He would know how dangerous the entire situation was, what with her being in Elijah's debt and Klaus wanting her for a spell breaking sacrifice. Jeremy would understand more than Jenna because as far as Jenna knew, Stefan had gotten her pregnant and not ready to be a father, bailed without looking back, which of course, isn't the case.

The anger that Elena had chosen to ignore comes to the surface, tinting her vision in red. Somewhere in her more rational mind she knows that that's not what happened. That isn't why Stefan left. Though she didn't and still doesn't agree with his motive, rational Elena knows that Stefan left because he thought it was best for her. But rational Elena isn't here at the moment; very irrational Elena is and she is angry; angry that Stefan is MIA and she's left to deal with everything. Did he honestly think that if he left all her problems would too? Because it didn't work out that way. In reality, now she not only has to worry about Elijah and Klaus to worry about, but a baby. _His _baby.

The anger retreats as quickly as it came and she sighs. She did exactly what she said she wasn't going to do: focus on the past.

She glances down at the ultrasound photo and promises herself that that is the last time she will waste a single moment of her time being angry at Stefan. He made his choice and now she's making hers. She will no longer think or do anything that won't be good for her; for both of them.

That thought squeezes something in her chest. She knows in that instant that she'll do anything to protect her little blob, her baby. That's all that matters now. And with that thought…

"Damon, what were you and Dr. Robin talking about after I got in the car?" Elena asks, breaking the silence for the first time since they had gotten in the car.

She studies his perfectly composed face, staring at the road. "She was just telling me to make sure you eat properly, take the vitamins and to set up another appointment."

She almost believes him. Damon, after all, is a very good liar, but Elena knows he is lying. Its not that he has a tell; she just knows.

"Liar," Elena says, emphatically.

He glances at her from the side, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips parted slightly.

"Why would I lie?" Damon asks, watching her from the corner of his eyes.

Elena shrugs. "I don't know," she says. "To protect me?"

He looks back at the road, his lips pressed tightly together.

"Damon, you need to tell me," Elena says, influentially. "If this has anything to do with me or the baby, I need to know."

Damon frowns and pursues his lips.

The action confuses Elena and makes her want to know even more.

"Damon," Elena says, a warning in her tone.

He doesn't budge.

She decides to try a different approach.

"Please" she says, tone soft. "Please, please tell me."

She sees Damon's face soften just the slightest and he glances at her, a confusing look on his face. Its too close to sympathy for her comfort.

"Elena, I don't think you should become too… attached to the idea of having a baby quite yet," he says, glancing at her with the same sympathetic look.

Fear settles in her stomach and closes her throat, making it hard to breath. "Why?" Elena chokes out. "Damon, tell me."

"After you got into the car, Robin pulled me to the side and wanted to talk to me about some things," he explains.

"What things?" Elena asks, her voice rising an octave in panic.

"She thinks that your body may reject the pregnancy and you'll have a miscarriage," Damon says, quietly, his blue eyes full of worry and softness; something she never saw in Damon's eyes, not until recently. "Because it is half vampire and you're not, she isn't sure you'll body will be strong enough to handle it."

An unseen force squeezes Elena's heart and throat, making it hard to breath or even think.

She had just had an epiphany, making her realize she did want this baby and now she finds out she may not be able to? She may not be able to carry him or her? Burning tears well up in her eyes and she stares at Damon, wordlessly begging him to tell her that it's impossible. _Of course your baby will be okay, Elena. _

He doesn't though and tears begin rolling down her cheek.

Damon's eyes feel with pain at the sight of seeing her crying and he pulls off to the side of the road and stops the car.

He turns to her and, a new sense of determination in his eyes and body.

"Listen to me Elena," he says, intently. "I will do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen. I'll make sure you rest and eat healthy, I'll make you go bed rest."

"What if its not enough?" Elena whispers.

He stares into her eyes. "Then I'll give you my own blood," he says. "It will make you stronger. If that will help, I'll do it."

Worry and grief still has an iron grip on her, but thankfulness washes over her too. She's so thankful that Damon is here and doesn't seem like he'll go anywhere. She remembers a time when all she wanted was Damon to be out of her life, gone forever, never returning. She remembers when Damon scared her more than anything else in the world. She sees no trace of that Damon, the cold, ruthless Damon with the quick temper in his blue eyes now. It comforts her in a way she can't begin to describe.

"Why?" she asks, suddenly needing to know why he would do that for her.

"Because I protect the people I care about," Damon says. "And I protect my family."

"But I'm not your family," she says.

"No, but I care about you," he says. He points to her ultrasound photo. "And he or she is my family."

His words send a rush of warmth through her, momentarily squashing the worry, though that still lingers beneath the surface

Ten minutes later, they arrive at the boarding house.

Damon uses his supernatural speed to open her door before she even undoes her seatbelt. She grabs her things and they go inside, welcoming the warmth after being out in the cold weather.

"So what now?" Elena asks as Damon takes off his jacket and lays it over the back of the couch.

He walks to the table with different kinds of alcohol. He takes a cup and fills it with water from a glass pitcher. He hands it to her. "Now, you take that pill," he says, eyeing the box in her hand.

She opens the box and pulls out a bottle full of pills and take's one out. Damon takes the empty box and Elena takes the water. She swallows one of the horse like pills.

"I want to talk to Robin before I start giving you my blood," he says. "And I think you should stop ingesting any kind of vervain. We can't be sure if the baby is more vampire or more human and having vervain in your system could hurt it."

She nods in agreement and reaches for the clasp on her vervain necklace, preparing to unhook it.

Cool hands grabs her's gently and pulls them back.

"Don't," he says, holding her hands.

"But you said-"

"I said don't ingest it," he says. He pulls her hands down to her side before letting them go. "You still need to be protected."

"Okay," she says, trusting him.

He looks down at the floor and his eyebrows furrow. "I think that we should call some kind of meeting here today," he says. "To let everyone who needs to know know."

"I'll call them now," she says.

He nods and disappears into the kitchen.

Elena pulls out her phone and sends a text to Caroline saying to come to the boarding house.

Jeremy's and Alaric's says the same thing, but it says not to say anything to Jenna about it and Bonnie's says to come, but to not tell Luca about where she's going. Elena still doesn't trust her friend's boyfriend and still thinks he's somehow working with Elijah.

Ten minutes later, they arrive. Jeremy and Alaric together, Bonnie by herself and Caroline with Tyler. It doesn't surprise Elena seeing him there. Tyler became just as much a part of this as the rest of him. He's needed for the sacrifice too.

Caroline and Bonnie both know exactly why Elena called them all there. They give her a subtle, comforting look. Everyone else just looks confused so Elena knows they both kept good on their word. Tyler, Alaric and Jeremy have no idea why they're here.

They all head into the living room, Damon reappearing as they all sit down, curious looks on their faces.

"What's going on Elena?" Jeremy asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I found out something yesterday," she says, getting straight down to business. "And confirmed it today. I know it'll sound crazy, but its true."

They wait patiently for her to explain.

"I'm pregnant," she says, pausing to watch their reactions.

Tyler looks at Caroline, eyes wide. She nods silently. Bonnie watches her, waiting for her to go on and Alaric and Jeremy stare at her, mouths hanging open.

"Stefan…?" Jeremy asks, trailing off.

Elena nods.

"But Damon said vampires can't have children," Jeremy argues.

"She's human," Damon says. "Vampire women can't have children."

Elena feels a moment of sympathy for Caroline, who has a tight, unhappy look on her face. Caroline hates that she'll never have real children.

"What does that mean?" Alaric asks, looking at Damon rather than Elena.

"It means that a couple months from now there's going to be a little Salvatore running around here," Damon says, deciding to not tell them about what the doctor had told him. He didn't accept it; neither of them did.

"You're one hundred percent positive?" Alaric asks, looking back at Elena.

She reaches for the ultrasound photo she had laid on one of the end tables behind a plant. She holds it out and he takes it, examining it.

"One hundred percent," Elena says.

They pass around the photo, looks of surprise on their face as they examine it.

"I know a doctor who happens to be a witch," Damon says. "We went to see her today. She's going to be the one monitoring Elena and the baby."

"You can trust her?" Bonnie asks.

Damon nods. "I saved her and her daughter's life a few years ago. She'll help."

"But do you trust her?" Bonnie asks.

"Yes."

She nods, taking his word.

Bonnie and Damon's relationship hadn't improved over the last year; they still dislike each other but they know the other would always protect Elena. It's the one thing they agree on.

Elena takes comfort at all the people in the room, supporting her. Maybe this won't be so impossible after all.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone! So this chapter is short because I really want to start on the next chapter, which is where the Delena stuff officially starts happening! Okay so I just want to let you know that everything after 2.11 is officially irrelevant to the story. I was going to see what happened on Thursday and try to work it in to the story, but I didn't like where things are going with Jules/Caroline/Tyler or particularly with Damon, so ignore all of that. I think I may do little flashback chapters to explain exactly what happened with Rose, Jules, etc. R & R(:**

The seven of them spent the next hour discussing, planning and preparing. Elena hadn't expected it to be such a long meeting; she expected to tell them and then maybe after a little discussion, they would leave. It didn't play out that way and they were all getting into a plan to help protect Elena more so than they already do now. It comforts Elena in a way no one can possibly understands to have a support system like she does, but she feels uncomfortable with- from the direction this plan is going- being babysat.

Elena had argued of course. "I'm not a child," Elena says, "I don't need a babysitter."

"We know that Elena," Bonnie says, an understanding look on her face. "But this changes things. You need more protection now."

"I don't understand why though," Elena says, eyebrows scrunched together. She already had a lot of protection. A lot.

"Because its no longer just you we need to protect," Caroline says. Tyler has his arms wrapped around and the way his eyes light up at her voice, for just a millisecond, causes Elena to feel a twinge of jealously. Its irrational, but she can't help but missing that.

Stop it, Elena. Focus.

"Exactly," Bonnie says, in full agreement with Caroline. "We have someone else to protect now too."

It almost strikes Elena as funny at how much the conversation has changed from when they first came. They had trouble believing it at first, and now they're all solely devoted to protecting Elena and the baby. Its like in the short span of time they've been here, they've falling in love with the baby as much as she already has. She glances at Damon, sitting on the couch beside her and wonders what he thinks about all this. His face gives her no clues whatsoever as to his thoughts and she is a little too scared of his answer to ask.

Her thoughts drift back to the car.

"Because I protect the people I care about," Damon says. "And I protect my family."

"But I'm not your family," I say.

"No, but I care about you," he says. He points to the ultrasound photo. "And he or she is my family."

Does he honestly mean that? Will he really go to the lengths he's said to help her? Is he helping her for the reasons he says or for some unknown reason? So many questions, so little answers.

"What about Jenna?" Jeremy asks, suddenly.

"What about her?" Damon asks, taking a sip of whatever alcohol interests him today.

"Well, I mean, its not like Elena can exactly hide it from her," he explains, eyebrows furrowed. "And when she does tell her, I don't think she can lie."

"Why not?" Damon asks, eyebrows furrowed, just as Jeremy's are.

"Well, you have to wear a ring to walk in sunlight," Jeremy says, "and you have to drink blood to survive because you're a vampire."

Damon nods, signaling him to go on.

"So what if the kid is more vampire than human?" Jeremy asks. "Will he or she need some kind of protection from the sunlight? Will he or she need blood? And what about vervain?"

Elena's eyebrows furrow. She hadn't thought about that yet. Jeremy certainly did bring up good questions. Exactly how vampire is the baby? More rather than less? Would the baby need protection? Blood?

"I can put a spell on something and as soon as he or she is born give it to you," Bonnie says, helpfully. "We won't have to find out the hard way."

Elena releases a breath, not realizing she had been holding it.

One problem down, Elena thinks to herself. A million to go.

"As for the vervain," Damon says, "I already told Elena to stop ingesting it."

"But what about compulsion?" Bonnie asks, looking at Damon in the way that hints to Elena she isn't looking because he's the one who talked last. Bonnie's looking because she's worried he'll compel her.

Elena knows with unexplained- and lets face it, unrealistic- certainty that Damon won't compel her. She can't explain it, she just knows. She just wishes her best friend had the same feeling of certainty she does. Things would be so much more simpler, but Bonnie just doesn't like Damon. Never has and probably never will. Maybe its because he tried to kill her a long time ago. Elena understands but that Damon is gone; buried in the tomb with Katherine and her horrible ways.

"She still has the necklace," Damon says, glancing at the necklace Stefan had given her before she knew what vervain was to protect her- from Damon.

"Good," Bonnie says, relief evident in her voice and face.

Something in Damon's eyes twitch- anger maybe?- before he quickly covers it up with the sarcastic smile Elena hates so much.

"Don't worry, Bonnie," Damon says, narrowing his eyes just the slightest. "I don't plan on draining Elena anytime soon. You can stop watching me out of the corner of your eyes."

Elena's eyes widen. She hadn't noticed Bonnie watching Damon at all. Maybe that's why Damon has been randomly death staring certain parts of the room every few minutes for the last hour. Elena wonders if Bonnie thinking he would hurt Elena bothers him, or if he just doesn't like being accused of things.

"What can I say?" Bonnie asks, her tone radiating bitch, which is very rare for Bonnie. "I can never be sure when the Damon of a year and a half ago is going to come back."

Everyone watches the two of them, waiting for Damon to fall on the floor with an aneurism or Damon to lunge at Bonnie. Of course, Damon wouldn't get very far. Bonnie has become a much stronger witch in the last year, especially because of Luca. He's taught her all of these tricks to use more power but not drain herself, making her a much stronger, much better witch.

That reminds Elena- she needs to talk to her best friend about her sketchy boyfriend.

Damon gives a wicked smile, oozing danger and a predatory gleam. He leans forward. "I can assure you, if that time ever comes, you'll be the first to know."

Bonnie opens her mouth to say something but Elena, losing patience with their old ways, interrupts. "Enough," she says, tone sharp. "You two are not going to fight. I have enough problems right now. I don't need you two fighting like children on my plate too."

Guilt fills Bonnie's face. "Sorry," she says. "I shouldn't let him get to me like that."

Damon glares at her for a second longer before turning his head to the side, out of sight of everyone.

"Jenna's going to start wondering where we are," Jeremy says, quietly. "We can't say we're going to spend "quality guy time" forever."

Tyler snorts. "You said you two were spending quality guy time together?" he asks, stifling a laugh.

Jeremy shoots him an annoyed look. Jeremy and Tyler's relationship hadn't improved much in the last year. Of course, they no longer tried to beat the hell out of each other every time they lay eyes on the other, but they weren't exactly best friends either.

"Its not like I had much time to make up a more believable plan," Jeremy says, annoyed.

Tyler bites back his smile and holds his hands up in front of him, surrendering.

"Jeremy's right," Alaric says. "We should probably be leaving before Jenna starts getting curious."

Elena nods. "Alright."

"Are you coming?" Jeremy asks.

Elena shakes her head. She needs tot talk to Bonnie about Luka, sooner rather than later. "No, I'll be home later. As far as Jenna knows, I'm still at Caroline's."

Jeremy and Alaric nod and stand up. Tyler and Caroline get up too.

"We should probably get going too," Caroline says. "I have to, you know, start getting ready and stuff."

Tyler looks down at his feet and smiles.

"I hope you two have fun on your date," Elena says, again hating how she feels a bit jealous at them.

"Wait," Damon says, standing suddenly.

All eyes turn to him.

"What?" Elena asks.

"This information shouldn't leave this room," he says.

"You mean about the baby?" Elena asks, confused.

He nods. "Don't' tell anyone. No one at school, parents, no one."

Elena retrains herself from rolling her eyes. "I'm no exactly embarrassed or ashamed Damon. I don't care if people know. Its not like they won't know soon anyways."

Damon looks like he's retraining himself from rolling his eyes now. "Do you really think Elijah just left a year ago? That he just walked away from Mystic Falls without leaving eyes and ears behind?"

Realization washes over Elena. "He has people watching us," she says, paling.

"I'm willing to bet my life," he says.

The thought shakes them all, but they can't worry about that now. Right now, they need to focus on what's happening right this moment, not the what if's and maybe's.

After everyone but Bonnie leaves, Elena sees her opportunity. She needs to talk to Bonnie about Luka now.

"Bonnie can I talk to you for a minute?" Elena asks, hesitantly.

"Sure," she says, sitting back down. "What's up?"

"Damon and I were talking last night," Elena begins, "and we think we know why nothing supernatural has happened in the last year."

Bonnie's eyebrows furrow. "What do you mean?"

Damon sighs loudly. "Come on witch," he says, condescendingly. "You can't possibly say you haven't wondered why nothing has happened in the last year."

Elena's surprised and proud when Bonnie doesn't say something snarky back to Damon. Bonnie doesn't and continues to stare at them, completely clueless.

"But Elijah said he was going to protect everyone you cared about," Bonnie says, looking at Elena. "Why would anything happen?"

"Bonnie," Elena says, slowly, not wanting to upset her best friend. It's no secret how much Bonnie loves Luka. Its obvious.

"Elena stop," Bonnie says. "I'm not a child. Tell me what's going on."

"We think Luka and Jonah are working for Elijah," Damon blurts out.

Bonnie's eyes widen. "No," she says, shaking her head slowly. "No he-"

"Bonnie think about it," Elena says. "Luka and Jonah came to Mystic Falls when Elijah did. Elijah said that he had witches to help protect this town. It has to be Luka and Jonah. It can't just be coincidence."

She expects Bonnie too argue or get angry but she doesn't. Instead her face shuts down and emotionless, she asks, "So what do we do?"

"Nothing," Damon says, simply.

"Nothing?" Bonnie and Elena both ask, turning to him.

He nods.

"But if they are working with Elijah.. shouldn't we do something?" Elena asks.

"Not right now," Damon says. "So far, they have been keeping the town safe. I think for now, we should pretend like we don't know and act on it later."

"Fine," Bonnie says.

Elena gives her best friend a hug. "I'm so sorry Bonnie."

Bonnie gives her a weak smile. "Its fine, Elena," she says, shrugging. "Its not like I planned on marrying the guy or anything."

Elena decides to drop it, clearly seeing Bonnie isn't ready. "Alright," Elena says, nodding. "Whenever you need to talk."

Bonnie nods and stands up. She's getting upset and both Damon and Elena can see it.

"I'll see you guys later," Bonnie says, quickly, before turning and walking out the door and to her car.

Elena watches her car disappear. "Poor Bonnie."

Damon rolls his eyes. "She'll be fine."

Elena gives him a pointed look. "She's hurt," Elena says. "She just found out the guy she loves has been lying to her for the last year."

"I spent a 145 years obsessively trying to save the woman I loved, who I thought loved me back but turned out to be a lying bitch," Damon says, getting up and pouring himself a drink. "If I can be okay with that, Bonnie can be okay too."

Elena doesn't know what to say to that, so she doesn't say anything at all.

**So there ya go! Hope you were satisfied! Okay so the next chapter isn't going to be like set immediately after this one. Its going to be set about two months from this chapter so be prepared! A lot of the next chapters are going to be like that because I can't have my story covering every little day. It'd have like 1,000 chapters. You can be expecting the next chapter up in the next day or too hopefully!**

**Until next time!**


	10. Chapter 10

**So here's the next chapter. This is like the official opening chapter for Delena! Yaaay(:**

**I wanted to say thank you to Kat for the reviews! I can't reply back on your actual review but I still wanted to say thank you! Your reviews mean a lot and you have given me a lot of ideas for the future chapters.**

**So I hope you guys don't want to kill me toooo much, but I've started working on a side story which might make the updates for this a little bit longer. Sorry! But check out the other story, another Delena fic, called The Story Left Untold. R&R!**

Elena ran her hands through her hair as she stepped out of the joint bathroom her and Jeremy had shared since they were little. She was absolutely exhausted. Today was easily the longest day of her life. She had been kidnapped, knocked unconscious, scared completely out of her mind, rescued and informed about some seriously scary things. Not in that order exactly.

But she really didn't want to think about Elijah, or Katherine or doppelgangers at that time. All she wanted to do was climb into bed and pretend like she was a normal teenage girl with normal teenager girl problems like boys and grades.

"Cute PJ's," a familiar voice said, ringing through the room and causing her to nearly have a heart attack.

Damon was sitting on the little ledge with the cushion in front of her window, a small smile on his face.

She had absolutely no patience for this right now. She looked down at the floor and rubbed her arms. "I'm tired, Damon," she said, hoping he would get the message and leave.

But being Damon, he didn't and he began to walk towards her. He stopped about two feet away from her and held out his hand in front of him, something silver dangling from his hand.

It was her necklace.

"Brought you this," he said.

Relief washed over her and she had the urge to hug him, but she was Elena and he was Damon and that just wasn't going to happen.

"I thought that was gone," she said, staring at it in amazing. She didn't realize until that moment how much she was upset about losing it.

With a tiny quirk of his lips and shaking his head, Elena reached out for it. "Thank you."

He quickly pulled it back out of her reach.

Fear and something close to panic threatened to overtake her. "Please give it back," she said, slowly. She hoped the fear didn't show in her expression.

"I just have to say something," he said, innocently. He took a step forward and she took one back reflexively.

Her body was tense and unmoving as she asked, "Why do you have to say it with my necklace?" Her voice shook with fear.

His eyebrows furrowed and he looked as if it was the most obvious explanation ever. "Because what I'm about to say is probably the most selfish thing I've ever said in my life," he explained.

She stared at her necklace and drew in a shaky breath. "Damon, don't go there," she begged, looking up into his icy blue eyes.

Holding his hands out, he took two steps forward, closer to her and with hands out said, "I only have to say it once. You just need to hear it."

He stepped forward again and there was less than an inch between his chest and her's. She was too afraid and too caught up in the depth and emotion in his eyes to step back. It was more emotion than she'd ever seen in his eyes. It was loss and hurt and… something else.

He stared at her like he was looking through her and straight into her soul. "I love you Elena," he said, so genuinely she couldn't doubt his words. She couldn't take her eyes off of him as the fear slowly drained from her body, leaving nothing she could identity as a single emotion.

He bit those full lips of his and said, "And its because I love you that-" he hesitated and stared at her, love, longing and lost in his eyes for a second before continuing "-I can't be selfish with you."

Elena didn't know what to do, what to say, how to respond. So she stood there, listening to the silken words pouring from him.

"And why you can't know this."

Elena felt her eyes widen. She knew exactly what was happening. Damon was going to confess his love for her and then take her memories away from her, erasing this whole conversation.

"I don't deserve you," he said, with such tenderness and love in his voice it made her want to cry.

"But my brother does."

He took another step forward but Elena didn't take one step back. She watched as he leaned down and pressed his soft, silken lips against her forehead. She closed her eyes and let a breath out.

He stepped back and for just a moment, she wished he wouldn't.

Elena could feel it then; feel his pull. She could feel herself began to get lost in his eyes and she knew then what it was like to be compelled. She tried to make her body move but she couldn't; she was completely paralyzed. She was no longer the one controlling her body; he was.

"God I wish you didn't have to forget this," he said, his voice so soft Elena could imagine wrapping herself in it and sleeping peacefully forever. A single tear fell from his eye and Elena's heart clenched in her chest.

"But you do."

Elena blinked and watched as the wind blew her curtains. She walked to her window and closed it tight, peering out for a moment before climbing in bed and snuggling deep underneath the covers, wondering why she felt like crying.

Elena gasps, sitting up and looking around.

Nothing is out of place and she lies back down, breathing heavily. The alarm clocks says 3:45 A.M.

_What a weird dream_, she thinks to herself.

But don't you get weird dreams when you're pregnant?

She isn't sure.

Its been two months since Elena found out she was pregnant.

A lot had changed in the last two months too.

She has been getting daily doses of Damon's blood in hope to make her stronger and in effect her body being able to support the pregnancy. So far, it has worked perfectly. She's as strong as ever and so is the baby. She visits Dr. Robin every couple of weeks and is checked out. She says that so far it seems like a completely normal pregnancy. She and the baby are both very healthy and she thinks that if in the next month nothing happens, her and the baby will be fine.

Dr. Robin has her on this extremely strict and healthy diet and Damon enforces it. Dr. Robin says she should eat healthy regardless and it will also hopefully make her stronger along with the blood.

She is more or less being babysat and is rarely left alone. At home, Alaric and Jeremy are always watching her and it honestly creeps her out sometimes, though she knows its for a good reason. Bonnie, Caroline and Tyler keep a close eye on her at school, which she tries to ignore most of the time.

She's yet to tell Jenna. She figures that she isn't showing yet (which made her worry at first, but the doctor had assured her that it wasn't uncommon and some woman didn't show until they were 5 or 6 months along) so there really is no need to bring Jenna in yet. When she can't hide it any longer, she'll tell Jenna. Nut for now, she wants her aunt to stay in the dark.

Bonnie has been keeping a very close eye on Luka, which isn't hard since they are still "together." Damon told Bonnie it was best to stay with him and try to dig, see if she can find anything out before going to drastic measures. Damon is usually all for drastic measures, so Elena was surprised when he said that. Then again, Damon's been surprising her a lot lately.

He's been very… sweet lately. She sees him almost everyday and he still takes her to every doctor's appointment. The cocky, arrogant, dangerous Damon she knows is fading more and more and she sees a new Damon more and more everyday. A more sweet, kind, overall nice Damon. She isn't sure exactly what made this change but she isn't complaining. She likes how close she's grown to Damon in the last two months. She likes having him as her friend again. She had missed him.

She's thrilled that she is graduating in three months and won't have to worry about school anymore. She hasn't decided whether or not she is going to college first thing out of high school. The baby is due in September, so she honestly doesn't think she'll be able to. Maybe waiting a year of two will be better.

Overall, life hasn't been to hectic over the last two months. Besides being watched constantly and her eating habits changing, life has been almost normal.

Of course, until this dream.

It is very weird.

What's even weirder is the sense of déjà vu that comes along with it.

She feels like she's experienced this before, but she knows she hasn't. Damon hadn't visited her bedroom after they had saved her. He hadn't. It was impossible. She remembers that night perfectly.

She closes her eyes and hopes sleep will come. She has another doctor's appointment in the morning and she doesn't want to be exhausted.

Unfortunately, sleep didn't come and she's exhausted as she gets ready for Damon to pick her up.

Jenna is out grocery stopping and she, Jeremy and Alaric know the drill. They'll tell Jenna that she went to Caroline's or out or something along those lines. Jenna will believe it and problem solved.

Damon waits in his car patiently for her to come out and she tries not to watch him as she gets into the car.

"You look terrible," he notes as she gets into the car.

She sighs. "Gee, thanks," she says, buckling her seatbelt.

They pull out of the driveway and he watches her from the mirror. "Trouble sleeping?"

She nods, avoiding his eyes. "You could say that." _I was just analyzing the dream I had where you told me you loved me and then compelled me. Nothing major. _

The ride to Dr. Robin's is uncomfortably silent, at least for Elena. Damon looks completely content with the silence, so she figures her mood isn't radiating throughout the car.

She can't stop thinking about the dream. It may be nothing, but she can't help but wonder what it means. Of course, it had to just be a dream right? Damon didn't come into her bedroom that night. She would have remembered.

_Unless he made you forget…_

No, impossible. There's no way he could have compelled her.

The thought nags at her the rest of the way to the house and through the entire appointment.

Nothing new happens at the appointment, not really. Dr. Robin asks how she's been feeling, if she's noticed anything strange and then she takes an ultrasound photo.

"A lot of exciting things happen this month, Elena," Dr. Robin says, smiling. "The baby's bones will begin to harden, the baby's eyes are now large and open, he or she is moving, though you probably can't feel it yet, the external ears have formed and by the end of this month, we'll be able to hear the heartbeat on a Doppler. The external genitalia will also began to differentiate, though I can't' tell you the gender quite yet. The embryo is now counted as a fetus."

This information fascinates Elena. The thought that in a few weeks she'll actually be able to hear a heartbeat and that in a few more she'll know whether its a boy or girl brings a huge smile to her face.

But still, the dream nags her and she wants to talk to Dr. Robin about it, without Damon.

After getting the stuff wiped off of her stomach, she sees an opportunity.

"Damon, I left my cell phone in the car and I really want to text the photo to Bonnie. Can you get it for me?"

"Sure," he says and disappears.

Due to the fact that her cell phone is in her coat pocket, he'll be busy for a moment.

"Dr. Robin, I need to ask you something," she says, voice low just in case.

"Of course," she says, raising an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

"I had this dream," she whispers. "But it doesn't seem like just a normal dream you know? When I woke up, I felt this sense of déjà vu but I know this didn't happen. At least, I can't remember."

The doctor's eyebrows furrow and she asks, "What was it?"

Dr. Robin is familiar enough with everything that's happened that Elena doesn't need to explain anything. "It was after Stefan and Damon saved me from Elijah. It was after I got home and in the dream Damon showed up."

"What happened?"

"He… he brought me my necklace, told me he loved me and then compelled me to forget."

The doctor's eyes widen and she says, "And then what happened?"

"He disappeared."

"Is this the first time you've had a dream like this?" she asks.

Elena nods. "I've never had a dream like this before. The sense of déjà vu was just… unreal."

"Elena," she says, slowly. "Is it possible that this could have happened?"

"No of course not," Elena says. "I had-"

She cuts off suddenly. She was about to say she had her necklace so it would have been impossible to compel her, but she didn't have her necklace. A terrifying thought is slowly forming in her head. That day, she did lose her necklace and when she woke up the next morning, she had it. She hadn't really thought about how she had gotten it. She hadn't until now.

"But… if its true," Elena says, slowly. "Why would I just be remembering now?"

"Well, when a human is turned into a vampire, any compulsion that had been used on them disappears and they remember what thoughts had been taken away," she explains.

Elena's thoughts drift to Caroline and how she had remembered everything Damon had did to her while she was human.

"I can't give you a concrete answer," Dr. Robin says. "But maybe because you're carrying a half vampire child, any compulsion that was used on you has been taken away and you can remember it now."

Elena doesn't get the chance to respond because she hears the front door open and a minute later Damon is downstairs.

"I can't find your phone," he says, completely unaware of the panic Elena feels.

"Its fine," she says, trying to control her voice. "Maybe I didn't leave it in the car after all."

If Damon senses her distress, he doesn't say anything.

After getting her ultrasound photo, they get into the car and the car ride back to her house is completely silent.

She's much to caught up in what she now knows she notice Damon staring at her through the window, a worried look on his face.


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry this took longer than expected… school has been kicking me in the ass lately… So thanks for the reviews! And be patient, I promise Delena will happen very soon. Sorry this chapter is SUPER short. I just reaaally wanted to update. Next chapter will be much longer, promise(: R&R**

**If you haven't yet, check out my other Delena fic, The Story Left Untold!**

"Oh my god."

"I know."

"Oh my god."

"I _know_."

"Ohmigod!"

"I know I know!"

Elena falls back on Caroline's bed, frustration seeping from every pore in her body.

It's the day after Elena last doctor's appointment and the three of them- Bonnie, Elena and Caroline- are all in Caroline's room, sitting on her bed. Caroline's house has turned into some what of a safe house for them. Sheriff Forbes is never home so they don't have to watch what they say, in fear of being overheard.

"I just… oh my god!" Caroline squeaks, blue eyes wide.

Elena swears to God, if Caroline says that one more time she's going to freak out.

"You already said that," Bonnie notes, shooting Elena a sympathetic look.

Caroline runs a hand through her blonde curls. "I know, I know," she says, sounding like Elena now. "But I just don't know what else to say! I mean, Damon confessing his love for you and then compelling you! Its just so..."

"Insane?" Elena asks.

"Unrealistic?" Bonnie asks, helping Elena out.

"Impossible?" Elena asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Unbelievable?" Bonnie asks.

Caroline rolls her eyes at them and their negativity.

She pursues her lips but, with a fierce certainty, says, "No, I was going to say romantic."

Both Elena and Bonnie gape at her. All the words they had said fit perfectly in Elena's opinion, but romantic? She doesn't think romantic quite fits the situation.

"Romantic?" Bonnie asks, giving Caroline a "you have lost it" look, one that Elena is also currently wearing.

"Yes," Caroline says, raising her chin in the air. "Romantic."

"How?" Bonnie asks.

Elena sits up and looks at Caroline, curious of her answer.

"Well," Caroline says, her blonde eyebrows squishing together. "For one, he came to your house to confess his love for you. But he told you how he doesn't deserve you and Stefan does, right?"

Elena nods, her mind drifting back to the dream until Caroline's voice brings her back into the room.

"If Damon Salvatore more or less says he's not good enough for you and won't let you remember because he thinks you deserve better, than obviously that means something. Damon loves you so much that he let you be with Stefan. He decided not to interfere anymore."

Elena thinks that over. In a way, Caroline is right. If this really happened, then Damon did tell her that he wasn't good enough for her and he did let her go. He let her be with his brother. Elena has to admit, it was one of the most unselfish things Damon had ever done. For the last year, Damon has tucked his own feelings for her away so she and Stefan could be happy together.

"But what if this dream didn't happen and is just that- a dream?" Elena asks.

"But what if its not?" Bonnie asks, surprising Elena.

Caroline and Elena both gape at her.

"What?" Bonnie asks, sheepishly. She sighs. "Look, we all know that Damon is not my favorite person in the least, but Elena, come on. None of that was just a dream."

"But how do you know?"

"I don't," Bonnie says. "I can't say for sure, concrete that it is but look at the last year. Damon hasn't tried one thing. He didn't try to mess you and Stefan up. And look at the last two months. He's been with you every step of the way through the whole pregnancy. Why in the world would he do that?"

Elena knows Bonnie is right. She wishes she wasn't, but she is. She can try and convince herself Damon has been there for her because its his brother's child and Elena is his brother's ex girlfriend. She can convince herself its because he had rescued her so many times in the small time she'd known him or that he suddenly feels like being a good guy. Hell, if she tries hard enough, she can convince herself its because she looks like Katherine, but she knows the truth.

Damon loves her.

"So what next?" Bonnie asks.

For a moment Elena feels an overwhelming since of déjà vu. Two months ago Bonnie asked the very same thing when she found out she was pregnant. Two months later, the answer remains the same, even if the situation is very different.

"I'm going to go talk to Damon."


	12. Chapter 12

**Wow I suck. I am so, so sorry. I've been so wrapped up in writing The Story Left Untold that I neglected this story. I won't do that anymore promise! Major Delena in this chapter and I hope you're satisfied. R & R**

_You don't have to do this_, Elena thought to herself as the driveway to the Salvatore Mansion grew closer and closer. _You can turn back right now, go home and pretend like you never had that dream. The only way he'll find out is if you tell him. Bonnie sure as hell won't tell him and you could convince Caroline not to. I highly doubt the doctor will say anything. If you turn back now, he won't find out. Things will stay the way they are._

The words continuously floated around in her head but something stopped her from turning around and going home. Perhaps it was curiosity. Maybe she wanted to hear Damon say it really happened. Maybe she _needed_ to hear Damon say it really happened because…well, people say that dreams are like a movie of what your subconscious wants and if that was true… the thought frightened Elena. Damon had been amazing the last couple of months. He was kind and protective and _there. _He hadn't run away the moment he found out. He didn't disappear into thin air like Stefan had. And now that Elena thought about it, Damon had absolutely no reason to stay in Mystic Falls. Damon had no friends here, besides Elena. Damon had no family here. He didn't care about half the people he stayed to protect. It would have made _sense_ for him to leave, what with Elijah and Klaus. But he didn't. He stayed.

Why was that? Had he given his word to Stefan before he left or was it something else?

Elena knew that Damon cared about her. She had known from the beginning. At first she thought it was because of Katherine. After all, he had loved her for 145 years and Elena looked exactly like her. And after he found out that Katherine hadn't been in the tomb and hadn't tried to contact him, she thought it was still because she looked like Katherine. Its nearly impossible to just stop caring about someone, even if they did do something that showed you they didn't care about you. Take Stefan for example, he left, but Elena couldn't say that she hated him or wanted him to get hurt. And she hadn't been in love with Stefan nearly as long as Damon had been in love with Katherine.

As the entrance to the driveway grew nearer, so did her heartbeats. Her heart was beating so fast, surely Damon would be able to hear it from inside. She didn't stop though. She continued down the driveway until the mansion was in sight. She pushed forward, taking deep breaths as she went on.

_There's still time to turn back_, a voice in her head said.

There was still time but she couldn't do that. She needed to know if it was real or not. She needed to know if Damon really did love her. _She needed to know._

She parked the car and walked up to the door, her heartbeat racing. Her heart was in her throat.

_Calm down, Elena. _

She knocked and only had to wait a few seconds for him to open the door.

He opened his mouth to say something but closed it as soon as he saw her face. His eyebrows instantly furrowed and he opened the door wider for her to come in, wanting her to get out of the cold.

**Damon's POV**

He knew something was wrong as soon as he saw her face. It was full of anxiety and worry. He signaled for her to come inside. She didn't need to be out in the cold.

"What's wrong?" he asked, surveying her to see if a hair was out of place. Everything was perfect. She looked completely fine other than the look on her face.

"Nothing," she said unconvincingly, "is _wrong_."

"Then why do you look like you've just seen a ghost?" he asked, suspiciously.

She blushed and said, "Can we go into the parlor? I want to talk."

_Uh oh_, Damon thought.

She started for the parlor and he started close beyond, intently watching her walk. He couldn't think of anything that would need to be talked about. Of course, she had looked ruffled in the car yesterday after the appointment. Damon had a growing suspicion that she talked to the doctor about something while he was looking for her cell phone. Suspicion was also growing about whether she had lied about that or not. She had acted strangely on the ride to Dr. Robin's and from, from more so than to.

What the hell was going on?

She sat down on the couch and grabbed a pillow, hugging it tight to her chest.

He sat down beside her, a foot or so in between them and he heard her heart begin to beat faster and faster with each second.

"Elena, what's going on?"

She pursued her lips.

"You're starting to worry me," he said. Understatement of the year. "Did something happen?"

She bit her lip before sheepishly saying, "Sort of."

"You're being cryptic."

"Sorry," she said, taking a deep breath. "Its just that… something happened on Friday night and I talked about it to the doctor on Saturday."

"What happened?" he asked, eyebrows furrowed.

Blood flooded her cheeks and she looked down at her hands. Damon was more than confused now. She was acting nervous around him. She hadn't acted that way in a very, very long time. Not since he had first come to Mystic Falls and more or lesson threatened her and everyone she loved.

"I had a dream," she said.

He was confused. What would a dream have to do with anything and why did it get her so stressed?

"Can I ask you something about the day I got kidnapped by Trevor and Rose?" she asked, suddenly.

He had a really bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. A _really_ bad feeling.

"Of course," he said, carefully.

"After you and Stefan rescued me," she said, eyebrows furrowed, "H- how did I get my necklace back?"

Damon had to control the sudden need to panic.

"I don't understand…" he said, allowing his voice to trail off.

"I think you do," she said, quietly. "You came to my room that night didn't you? To return my necklace?"

He stayed quiet, trying to figure out he was going to work his way out of this one.

"But you didn't just bring my necklace back," she said. "Dr. Robin said because the baby is half vampire, memories are coming back just like they would if I had turned."

Damn it. He certainly hadn't seen that one coming. Not in the least.

"Did you mean what you said?" she asked.

He nodded. "Every word."

"Why'd you make me forget?"

"I think you know the answer to that."

She shook her head. "The Damon Salvatore I knew wouldn't have just given up. He would have fought."

"You love Stefan," Damon said, the words burning. "Who was I to ruin your happiness?"

She shrugged slightly. "Maybe you wouldn't have ruined it."

"Come on, Elena," Damon said, bitterly. "I know you aren't Katherine. I didn't want you to be. You love Stefan and I wasn't going to allow 1864 to happen all over again."

"Damon," Elena said, slowly. There was some emotion in her eyes that he didn't understand. "Stefan's gone and its not 1864."

He opened his mouth to say something but instantly stopped as Elena leaned into him, stopping just an inch from his face to gaze into his eyes.

Passion. That was the word he had been looking for.

She closed that inch between them, pressing her lips to his.

**Elena's POV**

She hadn't planned on kissing Damon. But as he was talking, she couldn't help but notice the way his lips curved and how full they were. They were just so… kissable. She suddenly wanted to know what it would be like for their lips to be pressed together. She wanted to know what he tasted like. She wasn't going to lie, it hadn't been the first time she had wondered this. She had always stopped herself though because of Stefan. Watching him talk, she realized Stefan wasn't there. Nothing was stopping her from kissing him.

Kissing him was much different from kissing Stefan. Kissing Stefan was a lot like kissing Matt. They were both soft, sweet, caring, human- though Stefan wasn't. Damon was different. His lips weren't as soft as feathers and he didn't hesitate. After the moment of shock on his part, he had kissed her right back. Kissing him wasn't like kissing a human. He tasted differently and his lips moved against her's differently. She didn't understand why. Stefan wasn't human. Maybe it was all in her mind and she just felt differently kissing Damon.

She would overanalyze that later. Now, all she wanted to do was kissing him.

After a few minutes she heard Damon say something about blood.

She did need blood. She hadn't had any in a couple of days. But she didn't want to stop kissing him.

"Later," she said, breathing the words into his mouth.

He shook his head. "Now," he said and before she could stop him he bit his tongue. She could instantly smell copper.

He leaned down and kissed her again, enveloping her in the taste of him and his blood.


	13. Chapter 13

**Oh, my god VD was ahhhhhmazing last night! I love Damon so much3 If they don't start Delena on the show soon, I'm going to freak out.**

**So there is some major sappiness in this chapter but I can't help it. Delena brings it out in me, which I have to say is something pretty hard to do. LOL. So I think I got over that writer's block I had for this story and will be updating much more often. Thanks for all the reviews, they mean so much! And thank you to kat, who kinda inspired this chapter. Enjoy and R & R!**

Elena didn't know she fell asleep until she woke up, dim light streaming in through the dark curtains. Still dazed from sleep, she looked around the room for a moment, confused. Then she realized where she was and the beginning of panic withdrew, leaving her feeling calm and happy and complete and utterly right, the pounding in her head almost completely gone due to the sleep. She was in Damon's room, snuggled up underneath the thick, warm covers. She'd woken up plenty in the Salvatore Mansion lately, though never in Damon's room. Drinking vampire blood was a lot like drinking too many glasses of coffee much too quickly. It always left her feeling somewhat high, sick and it always gave her a headache. Damon said it was because her body wasn't meant to have vampire blood and it sharpened all of her senses, more than they ever should be, while making her stronger. It was necessary, but Elena didn't particularly like it. After drinking it, she often had to stay in one of the guest bedrooms and sleep the headache off.

She felt her face heat up as the memories of the day came back to her, especially the kissing Damon part. Kissing him was just… wow. She has had her fair share of kisses, but nothing compared to the feel of Damon's lips moving in synchronization with hers. She felt like sparks and fireworks were going off in her head. Nothing like that had ever happened with Stefan or Matt. Kissing Damon was pure ecstasy. Kissing Damon was epic. And as soon as he bit his tongue and she tasted the bitter sweet copper, she was floating and there was nothing but Damon and blood.

Laying there, she couldn't help but wonder why she never felt that with Stefan. Why did kissing him not feel epic? Why did it not make her forget everything but him? She couldn't deny that Stefan wasn't a good kisser because he was, but he had nothing on Damon. She didn't feel like she was on top of the world when she kissed Stefan. She didn't feel like she was in heaven running her hands through his hair. After kissing Damon, the thought of kissing Stefan again was disappointing. It was like the thought of kissing a boy after kissing a man.

Maybe that was the problem all along. Maybe she needed someone who didn't strive to be normal and fit in, to be an average high school kid; to be _human_. Maybe she needed someone experienced and mature and epic like Damon. Maybe she needed someone who strived to be bigger and better than anyone else and would do anything for it.

Stefan had been great, but Stefan wasn't epic and neither was their love. She knew that now.

Elena also couldn't help but notice that she didn't feel so lost and abandoned anymore. She didn't feel like a part of her was missing because Stefan was gone. Her heart didn't ache for him anymore. Thinking back on their time together, Elena couldn't help but compare it to Matt after their breakup. It was fun while they were together, she wouldn't go back in time if she could and change it, but it would not happen again. Stefan had been replaced in her heart. No, not replaced. Being replaced by something would mean that something was never in your heart. She knew now that she had always loved Damon- she just wouldn't admit it because the thought scared her. She was scared of having feelings for Damon. She was scared of being Katherine. But she knew now that she wasn't Katherine. Katherine had said it was always Stefan. For Elena, it was Damon.

From this day on, it would _always_ be Damon.

Elena came back to reality and felt another presence in the bed beside her.

Smiling and biting her lip, eyes still closed, she rolled over on her side and rested her forehead against his chest. She could faintly hear his heart beat, what with his blood coursing through her veins, heightening her senses. He put one of his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him and the other tangling in her deep brown hair. She sighed contently.

"How long have you been awake?" he asked, quietly. She was memorized just by the sweet, seductive, silken sound of his voice. How had she never been affected like this before?

"I don't know," she breathed, trying to snuggle closer to him, something that was nearly impossible. Head to toe she was touching him and it still wasn't enough. "A little bit."

He was quiet for a moment and Elena wondered what his face looked like right now, what his facial expression was. She was curious enough to angle her face to see his. His face surprised her. It was vulnerable and hesitant, something she had never seen in Damon's face, at least not through a dream. She instantly wanted to know what was wrong.

"What's wrong?" she asked, blinking up at him.

His face shut off for a moment and it made her heart skip a beat and not in a good way. After everything that had just happened, she couldn't bare to see his face lacking emotion, especially directed towards her. It was too much like the old Damon who didn't trust anyone. He could trust and open up to her.

"Nothing," he said. It was strange seeing his eyes so empty after just awhile ago they were filled with love and heat and passion.

She struggled to sit up and he released her, allowing her to sit up. She let the vertigo pass before she spoke.

"Please, please don't shut me out," she said, quietly.

His eyes softened just the slightest and he sat up, the dark sheets pooling in his lap. He gripped her upper arm gently and ran his hands up and down, causing her to shiver, like his touch was electric. He held her gaze with the sudden weight in his eyes and said, "I'm not trying to shut you out. I'm sorry."

"Then what's wrong?" she asked.

His eyebrows furrowed and he looked like he didn't quite know either. She watched as he struggled for a moment, trying to figure out the words that would fit what he felt. Finally he said, "Elena… you have to understand… I've haven't felt like this-"

"Since Katherine," Elena said, distastefully.

"No," he said, firmly. His eyes were so intent Elena felt like she couldn't breath. Two perfect circles of ice, filled with so much heat Elena wondered how they didn't melt. "Not since Katherine. Never. What I felt for Katherine is nothing compared to how I feel for you. Not even a fraction."

His words warmed her heart, but she still wanted to know why he looked so distant just a moment ago. "Then why…?"

"I keep waiting to open my eyes and realize this is all just a dream. I keep waiting to open my eyes to find Stefan never left and you two together."

Elena shook her head, her hair brushing his arms. "Stefan's gone, Damon," she said, firmly. "He's not coming back and-"

"But what if he did?" Damon interrupted.

Elena continued without acknowledging his interruption. "-I don't want him to come back."

Damon's eyes widened.

"I don't want him to come back," she said, intently. "He made his choice and I was upset at first, but I've realized that I'm glad he left."

"Why?" Damon asked, looking skeptical, like the words coming from her mouth were too good to be true. She couldn't blame him. He had been lied to, let down and hurt so many times, how could he not have trouble believing someone actually might care about him? Might actually love him without an agenda?

That broke her heart and she wanted to make sure he knew that she would never hurt him.

"Because if he had stayed, I would have continued to stay content with normal, with comfortable. If he had stayed, today wouldn't of happened and I would have never realized how much better things can be. If he had stayed, this-" she motioned to the two of them "-wouldn't have happened."

"What is this?" he asked, looking like he was on the verge of hoping. He motioned to the two of them, just as she did.

She bit back a smile and shrugged. "I have no idea," she said, leaning forward. "But I don't want it to stop."

Their lips were just a mere inch apart and she wanted to kiss him with every ounce of her being but she needed to say something first, to clear something up.

"Damon Salvatore," she said, looking into those blue eyes that suddenly held her to Earth. "I will never hurt you, I will never lie to you, I will never leave you, I will never try to change you and I _will_ give you back what Katherine took from you. I _will_ make you happy and I _will _give you the family you deserve. _I love you_."

He gave her a smile that stopped her heart and took her breath away before pressing his lips to her's, the fireworks starting again.

**3 3 3**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thanks for the reviews everyone(: Sorry its short. I'll try to update either tomorrow or Sunday, depending on when I finish a project I have to do. I've been super busy and I haven't had the time to write for either of my stories. R & R**

"Move in with me," Damon said, suddenly, causing Elena to look up at him from their position on the couch with wide eyes. It had been just six days since she had told him she loved him and the past few day had been amazing. Everyday after school she'd go to the boarding house where they would spend all afternoon together until she would leave later that night and the next day it would happen again. It was mid day Saturday and they were sitting on the couch watching a movie that had come on the TV. Elena had gotten into it but Damon hadn't. He looked like his mind was somewhere far away and she decided instead of asking him, she would just let him tell her. She knew when he was ready he would tell her. This must of been what was on his mind.

"What?" she asked, shocked. She hadn't seen that one coming.

"Move in with me," he repeated, a smile tugging on his lips.

She didn't know what to say. The idea was certainly intriguing but she couldn't help but have some doubts. She always had doubts about everything. It was who she was.

"You're frowning," Damon observed, raising his eyebrows.

"No, I'm not," she argued, though she knew she probably was.

"Are too," he said.

She sighed.

"Elena," he said, laughing slightly, "if you don't want to move in, you don't have to. I just thought you might want to."

"No, no," she said, quickly, which only made him smile wider. "I do its just…"

"You're Elena and you have to overanalyze everything."

She smacked him playfully on the arm and scowled. "I do not," she lied.

"Do too," he argued.

"Fine," she said, giving up. She wasn't going to win the argument anyways. "I do want to move in but there's just a lot to think about."

"Like what?"

"Well, Jenna for one," Elena said, cringing. She knew sooner or later she'd have to tell her aunt everything, but she would rather in be later rather than sooner. Elena knew Jenna could handle it but the longer she could keep her aunt in the dark about vampires, werewolves, witches and doppelgangers, the better.

"You need to tell her soon," Damon said.

"I know, I know," she said, running a hand through her hair. "I just never wanted her to have to find out about this stuff."

"Jenna's strong," Damon said. "She can handle it and the sooner you tell her the better."

"I know," she sighed. "I just don't know how to. 'Hey Jenna, um Damon is a vampire and so is Stefan. They were turned back in the time of the Civil War. Caroline is also a vampire, Tyler is a werewolf, Bonnie is a witch and Alaric came to Mystic Falls to kill Damon, who he thought killed his wife and my mother Isobel, but she's not dead. She's a vampire too. I'm something called a doppelganger and I look exactly like a vampire named Katherine, who turned both Damon and Stefan. I'm needed in breaking a curse that binds vampires and werewolves to the night and an Original named Elijah and I have made a deal to kill the oldest living vampire named Klaus. When he calls, I have to be the bait of the plan to kill him. Oh, and I'm pregnant with a half vampire, half human baby.' Did I leave anything out?"

Damon looked amused at her outburst. "I wouldn't present it in exactly that way, but yes something like that."

She leaned her head against his shoulder, feeling tired. "Can you just compel her to not freak out?" she asked, only semi joking.

"Can't," he said, stroking her dark brown hair. "She's had enough vervain in her system, its probably producing it by itself."

"Well, damn."

"Just sit her down and tell her everything," Damon said, like this was the simplest thing in the world. "Let Jeremy and Alaric help you. Make sure she knows that everything is going to be okay."

"I want you to be there too."

"Then I'll be there."

She sighed, feeling like a weight was off of her shoulders. "When should we?"

"How about tonight?" he said.

"Alright."

He smiled and kissed her, causing her to forget all of her worry and stress.


	15. Chapter 15

**This whole six week break thing is seriously f***** up): This season has too many long breaks… ugh. Anyways, hope you enjoy R & R**

"Are you okay?" Damon asked, his dark eyebrows furrowing over his ice blue eyes. "You look a little pale."

Elena nodded, feeling her stomach lurch as she did. It wasn't morning sickness- that had stopped a month ago and it wasn't morning. It was almost five o'clock in the afternoon and Elena was about done cooking dinner. She had called Alaric and Jeremy and told them that it was time they let Jenna in on the secret and they both agreed it was a good idea. After talking to the guys, Elena called Jenna and told her she needed to talk to her about something. Jenna had suspiciously agreed and was still out running the errands she was in the middle of when Elena had called her.

"All good," Elena said, forcing her lips to curve up in a smile.

He raised an eyebrow and gave her a disapproving look. "Elena, I've been dead for almost two centuries and I have a better tan than you do right now."

Elena rolled her eyes and went to the stove to check on the noodles she was boiling for chicken alfredo, one of the select things she knew how to cook. Elena had never helped cook all that much so she didn't know much. This particular thing Stefan had taught her to cook after failing at her attempt on one of their stay at home dates at her house. She figured if she was about to make a mistake, Damon would tell her.

"I'm fine," she said, tucking her hair beyond her ears as to not boil it. She needed a haircut.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess."

"It can't be that bad."

She sighed. "When are you going to learn to _never_ say that?"

He laughed and Elena couldn't help but smile. She had heard Damon genuinely laugh in the last week than she had in the past year and a half. The entire week, every time he laughed she couldn't help but be a little surprised. She was so use to his bitter/sarcastic/slightly insane laugh that something so genuine took her by surprise.

"Honestly, what's the worst that could happen?" he asked.

Various scenes flashed through her brain, none of them good and she winced at one in particular. "She could always try and stake you."

His smile faltered for just a second, probably seeing his own death in his head before it lit up his face again, as if it never left. "Note to self, don't sit near Jenna."

She frowned at him. "That's not funny."

"Sure it is," he said. "You just don't appreciate humor."

She gave him an incredulous look. "I just don't appreciate your humor."

Mock surprise shown on his face. "And here I thought I was funny."

"Not when you're joking about your _death_," Elena said, frowning. "I just got you. I don't want to think about you dying."

His expression softened just the slightest. He cupped her cheek in his hand and his eyes burned into her's. "I'm not going anywhere until you ask."

She smiled up at him. "You'll be waiting a very long time."

He shrugged. "I've got time."

He leaned down and pressed his lips to her's. She giggled as he lifted her up onto the counter and he stood between her legs as they kissed. She tangled her hands in his dark hair and smiled.

"Gross."

Elena pulled back and her face turned red as she spotted her brother standing in the entrance of the kitchen, his face turned in disgust.

She pushed back Damon and hopped down off the counter, smiling as she thought about how red her face was.

Damon sighed and turned to Jeremy. "Really?" he asked.

"What?" Jeremy asked, shrugging. "I don't want to see you eating my sister's face."

Damon's eye flickered wickedly and Elena only had the briefest amount of time to wonder what he was about to do before he spun her around and kissed her heavily. By the time he pulled back she was out of breath and dizzy.

Jeremy's disgusted look only furthered and he said, "I'll be in the living room if you need me."

It was no secret to anyone- except Jenna- that Elena and Damon were together. She had told Caroline and Bonnie the first moment she was away from Damon and Caroline had squealed in delight. She said it was about time. Bonnie gave her a weak smile and shook her head disapprovingly, but she was still happy for her best friend. If Caroline knew, Elena assumed Tyler knew and if Tyler knew, she assumed Matt knew. Of course, not that either of them would really care. Alaric and Damon had become friends over the last year and Alaric seemed satisfied, like he had been waiting for it to happen. Jeremy looked like he could careless that his sister was with the vampire who snapped his neck. Jeremy didn't hold grudges.

"Wait, wait, wait," he had said after she told in, an incredulous expression on his face, "you mean you two haven't been _you now _this entire time?"

"Jeremy I'm pregnant!" she exclaimed, shocked that her little brother would suggest that.

"So?" he said, shrugging. "What does that have anything to do with anything?"

"I don't think you can have sex when you're pregnant," Elena said.

He shook his head and laughed. "Okay Elena."

Hmm. Sex on mind, she did wonder idly if it would hurt the baby if they did. She would certainly have to talk about that with Dr. Robin.

"Why are you blushing?"

"I'm not!" Elena said, much too quickly. If she wasn't blushing before, she certainly was now.

"Okaaay," he said, in a sing-song voice she'd never heard him use before.

She felt him eyeing her the rest of the time she prepared dinner.

"Okay, what's going on?" Jenna asked as soon as they all sat down at the table. She looked at Damon who was seated a good distance away from her. "And what is he doing here?"

Damon smiled slightly and took a sip of wine out of the glass.

Jenna looked at Elena for an explanation. "Well?"

Elena bit her lip, thinking of a way to tell her aunt.

"Oh, God, you're pregnant aren't you?"

Elena's eyes widened and she suddenly could not think of one thing to say,. She planned on telling Jenna about the baby after telling her about everything.

"Jenna, we all have to tell you something," Alaric said, saving her. Elena shot him a grateful look. "And we should have done it a long time ago."

"It might be a little hard to…" Elena trailed off, thinking of the right word.

"Swallow," Damon said.

Elena would have rolled her eyes at his pun if it wasn't so unfunny and completely inappropriate. But then again, it was Damon.

That only made Jenna look even more confused. "Seriously, Damon," she said, "what are you doing here?"

"Jenna, do you remember about a year and a half ago when those animal attacks started?" Elena asked.

"Yeah," Jenna said, slowly. "Wasn't it a mountain lion or something?"

Elena shook her head. "They weren't animal attacks, Jenna."

"Then what were they?" Jenna asked, looking doubtful at her niece.

"They were attacks," Alaric said. "But the one doing the attacking wasn't a mountain lion or any other animal for that matter."

"Then what were they?"

"They were vampire attacks," Jeremy said, speaking for the first time.

The word hung in the air, echoing. _-ire- ire- ire- ire…._

Jenna's eyes went wide. And then she burst out laughing, causing Elena to jump and Alaric and Jeremy to frown. Damon looked slightly worried and slightly amused.

"Vampire?" she asked, between giggles. "_Vampire_? Okay, ha ha. Funny. Now, seriously, what's going on?"

"Jenna, we're being serious. Vampires are very real." This was going to be a lot harder than Elena thought.

Jenna gave them an incredulous look. "No, they're not."

"I know this is hard to believe," Alaric said. "But it's the truth."

"No, no, no, no," Jenna said, shaking her head, a slightly panicked look on her face. "Vampires are fiction made up to scare little kids and gullible older people. Vampires don't exist outside of Twilight and Interview With The Vampire."

Damon scoffed and they all turned to look at him. "_Please_" he said, distaste in his tone. "Twilight got it _all_ wrong. Anne rice did knock it on the head though. She was a good writer."

"What are you doing here?" Jenna exclaimed.

"I'm a vampire," Damon said, seriously.

Jenna's eyes widened. "That's insane. You're Damon Salvatore, your little brother is Stefan. Zack is your uncle. Vampires don't exist."

"Stefan's a vampire too," Damon explained. "We've been vampires since 1864 and as for Zack, he was my great, great, great, great… great something, nephew."

Jenna's eyes were as wide as golf balls. She looked like she was going to be sick. She grabbed the wine bottle off the center of the table and took a long swig. She looked at everyone at the table, an accusing look on her face.

Elena was just happy she hadn't noticed how Damon said "was." Damon wasn't the monster he used to be, but Jenna wouldn't understand that.

"How long have you known about this?" she asked no one in particular.

"I found out not long after Stefan and Damon arrived in town," Elena said.

"I found out not long after she did," Jeremy said.

"I've known for awhile," Alaric said. "Isobel isn't a missing person. She's a vampire."

"How?"

"I turned her," Damon explained.

"Why? How?" Jenna said, the words rushing into one.

"She wanted to be," Damon said, "and as for how, you have to have vampire blood in your system when you die to turn."

"I came here to hunt him down," Alaric said. "To kill him. I thought he killed her."

Jenna took another swig from the bottle. "Anything else?" she asked, breathless.

They all exchanged a look.

"Yeah," Jeremy said. "A lot."

"When I was turned in 1864, it was by a vampire named Katherine Pierce. I was in love with her in every sense of the word. But she was horrible and selfish. She wanted both Stefan and I and it turned us against each other.

The town became suspicious and Stefan, not on purpose, tipped off our father that Katherine was a vampire. He injected Stefan with vervain and-"

"What's that?" Jenna asked.

"Its an herb," Elena explained. "Its toxic to vampires and it stops them from compelling you."

"Compelling?"

"Mind control," Damon explained.

Jenna's eyes widened.

"Its in your system," Elena said, comfortingly. "You've been ingesting it for the last year and a half. We've all been. I've been slipping it into your coffee and your perfume."

Jenna looked relieved for just half a second.

"Anyways," Damon said. "Katherine was captured as were the other vampires that were hiding out in the town. They were injected with vervain to weaken them and thrown into Fell's Church, which the Founding Families sat on fire. Of course, they didn't know about the tunnel underneath the church. It lead to a tomb.

"The vampires gathered in the tomb where a spell was put, holding them in until it was broken."

"Spell?" she asked. "What kind of spell?"

"A spell by a witch," Elena said.

"Witches exist too?" Jenna asked, her voice rising an octave,

"Oh, yes," Damon said. "You know one."

"Bonnie's a witch," Elena said. "So is her boyfriend Luka and his father Jonah."

Again, Jenna reached for the bottle. "Go on," she said to Damon.

"Emily Bennett, one of the most powerful witches the world has ever seen, and I made a deal. One hundred and forty five years from that night, a comet would pass and the spell would be able to be unlocked. In exchange for this information, I had to protect Emily's bloodline. She and another hundred witches were tied to a stake and burned."

"Were they evil?" Jenna asked, looking like she was getting into the story.

Damon shook his head. "No, but the Founding Families thought they were. They thought they were using Black Magic, though they weren't. Witches don't dab into Black Magic unless they're insane. It isn't something you play around with."

"Then what happened?" she asked.

"Stefan and I were just turned into vampires," he said, leaving out the dramatic way how they turned. "When you're a vampire, every emotion you had as a human is intensified by a hundred, a thousand even. I hated Stefan for taking Katherine away from me. I hated him so much I promised to make the rest of his eternal life a living hell. For years and years after that, I would show up and ruin everything as soon as I saw he was happy."

Jenna's eyebrows furrowed and she appeared to be thinking. "145 years ago was… what? A year ago?"

"Yes," he said, nodding. "I returned to Mystic Falls to break the spell and get Katherine out of the tomb. Stefan knew nothing about this spell and that he was here at the time was random chance."

"But you didn't get her out of the tomb?"

"The night I was able to break the spell, Emily Bennett's ghost returned. She said that releasing these vampires would be too dangerous and she wouldn't allow it. She destroyed the crystal I needed to open the tomb. Of course, this didn't stop me. Not too much longer, I opened the tomb. We found a way to open the tomb. Katherine wasn't in there. She never was.

"Stefan and my love for Katherine had been a lie. She had never cared about me. She had cared for Stefan in a way, but I was just something to play with for her."

"That's horrible," Jenna said.

"There's more Jenna," Elena explained. "Do you remember after the accident how no one could explain why I got out?"

She nodded.

"Stefan pulled me out. He saw the accident and Dad told him to save me. When Stefan saw me, he saw Katherine. Have you ever heard of a doppelganger?"

She shook her head.

"I look exactly like Katherine," Elena explained. "If you were talking to Katherine, you would think it was me. I'm her doppelganger."

"Where is Katherine?" Jenna asked, looking panicked again. "Do you know?"

"She's in the tomb," Alaric said.

Jenna tuned to Damon. "You said she wasn't."

"She wasn't at the time. She is now. She was compelled to stay in there by a powerful vampire."

"There is something called the Sun and the Moon Curse," Elena said. "It condemns vampires to the night and werewolves to turn on a full moon."

"You walk in the sunlight," she said, looking at Damon. Her eyes got wide suddenly. "Did you say werewolves?"

"Emily put a spell on this ring so I could walk in the sunlight. Katherine and Stefan also have a ring like this. As does Caroline."

"Caroline?" Jenna asked.

Elena nodded. "Tyler Lockwood is a werewolf."

"To break the Sun and the Moon Curse," Damon went on, "the human doppelganger, a werewolf and a vampire must all be sacrificed."

"Oh my god," Jenna whispered.

"The Original vampire, Klaus wants to break the curse," Damon said.

"Are you in danger?" Jenna asked looking at Elena, panic evident in her voice and face.

Elena shook her head, though this wasn't one hundred percent true. "Elijah, another original vampire, and I made a deal. When the time comes, I will have to let him take me for the sacrifice but it won't happen. Elijah is going to murder Klaus before the sacrifice begins."

"Elijah?" Jenna whispered.

Elena nodded, slowly.

"Oh, god," Jenna said. "Oh my god."

"He's protecting us," Elena said. "All of us. That was the terms of the deal."

"You're not safe," Jenna said, shaking her head.

"Damon and I aren't completely sure, but we think that Luka and Jonah are working with Elijah. They're protecting us." At least, she prayed they were.

Jenna swallowed and was silent for a moment. She smiled half heartedly and said, "At least, you aren't pregnant."

Heat creeped up into Elena's face. "Um, actually…"

"You have got to be kidding me," Jenna said, looking at her in horror.

Elena shook her head. "Three months."

"Whose the father?" she asked. She turned to Damon, eyes blazing.

"Not me," Damon said, shaking his head, though Elena noticed that he said it longingly.

"Stefan is," Elena explained. "He left before we found out. Damon's been helping me."

As she said this, Damon and Elena linked hands.

Jenna stared at them a long time before finally she said, "I need a drink."

**Lol, okay so I like sweet, mushy Damon, but I also like sarcastic, funny Damon so both will be showing up in the rest of the story(;**

**I hope you enjoy. Don't forget to review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Sorry about how long its taking me to update. I'm having to do something after school and will have to for the next two weeks. Its torture and if I could get out of it, I would but I can't. Its taking up almost all my time so writing is becoming hard, though not impossible. Anyways, not a lot of Delena in this chapter but mostly Damon and Bonnie. Ha ha. I know. So in this weird alternate universe that is my story, the deal Elijah and Elena made did not include Elijah protecting the people she cared about. It strictly was that she could stay with her family and when he wanted to her to come with him, she would. Enjoy and review(:**

An obnoxious beeping noise woke Damon from his rather peaceful sleep. He thought it was just a dream but, with his arm still draped lazily around Elena's waist, he listened carefully just in case. Yep, there it was again. He stifled a groan and sat up, careful not to jostle Elena. She shifted with the weight of him suddenly gone and she reached her hand out, touching his thigh. He smiled down at her and quickly reached for his phone.

"What?" he whispered into the phone, not bothering to look at the caller I.D.

"Damon?"

"Yes," he said, rolling his eyes. Who else would answer?

"Its Bonnie," the suddenly familiar voice said on the other end of the line.

He paused for a moment, surprised. Bonnie? Calling _him_? He knew instantly something was wrong. Bonnie hated him with every ounce of her being. The only reason she would call him is if something was very, very wrong. His mind raced through a hundred different options, all bad. Elijah in town, rogue vampires terrorizing the town, some other god awful creature that had yet to come and make their lives complicated.

"What's wrong?" he asked, lowly, not wanting to wake Elena. She'd endured enough stress today already what with telling Jenna everything, which couldn't be good for her or the baby so he didn't want to drag her into what ever catastrophe this would be.

"I'm staying over at Luka's house tonight," she said, lowly, like she was afraid of being overheard. "And about twenty minutes ago him and his father both left."

Damon glanced at the clock beside his bed. It read 2:29 A.M. "A little late for going out," Damon said, quietly.

"Exactly," she agreed. "So I waited a few minutes after they left and then I left too. I followed them to an old warehouse about twenty minutes outside of town."

"Are you still there?" Damon asked.

"Yes."

"What's going on?"

"They met some guy outside and then disappeared into the warehouse," she explained.

"Was it Elijah?"

"I don't think so," she said, slowly. "I can't be sure but I really don't think so."

"Are they still inside?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

He was about to hang up but her voice stopped him. "Damon?" she asked. He couldn't trace any hint of anger or distaste in it. He did however trace something he'd never heard in her voice before, at least not directed to him: gratitude.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," she said.

"Sure," he said, taken aback. "I'll see you soon."

The line went dead.

* * *

Damon had left a note for Elena just in case she woke up and realized he was gone. It had simply said that Bonnie needed him, not to worry and he'd be back soon. He hoped she didn't wake up because she'd worry.

After extremely illegal speeding, he found the warehouse and within ten minutes had parked his car a distance way and was approaching Bonnie's car. She was sunk down in the seat, completely unaware of his presence.

The meaner, wickeder side of Damon saw this as a perfect opportunity to scare the living hell out of her but he squashed that impulse down. If Bonnie could be civil, so could he. Instead of jumping on the car, he walked to the passenger side window and tapped on it.

She jumped and he felt the barest touch of magic and he quickly backed up. Bonnie's magic and he usually didn't mix very well. Not well at all.

When she saw him she sighed in relief- also a first and unlocked the door. He slipped in and still felt the prickles of magic on his skin. She must have used it on instinct.

"Sorry," she said, looking sheepish, whether it was from embarrassment or the fact that she had just said sorry to him he didn't know. "You scared me."

"Sorry," he said, the word tasting funny on his tongue.

"Yeah," she said, looking away awkwardly.

"Any site of them?" he asked.

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"Then we'll wait," he said.

She nodded.

He almost laughed at the situation he was in right now. He was in a car, working with Bonnie Bennett for a common purpose. They, for once, were fighting together instead of against each other.

They waited in silence for what felt like a long time until finally, they saw movement near the warehouse. Damon leaned forward and strained his eyes to see. He could see three people and two he recognized as Luka and Jonah. The third person wasn't Elijah but he didn't know who he was. One of Elijah's workers perhaps? They waited quietly for the three people to stop talking and the unknown man disappeared.

"Ready?" Damon asked, glancing at her.

"Wait," she said, looking pale.

"What?"

"Don't do anything stupid," she warned.

"Why would you think I'd do anything stupid?" he asked, grinning wickedly.

She frowned at him. "I'm serious Damon," she said. "I may have power over Luka, but Jonah is a thousand times stronger than I am. I can't protect you."

"I don't need protection," he argued.

She grabbed his arm, gripping it tightly.

He almost pulled back out of surprised but he controlled himself.

"Damon," she said. "Please. Jonah won't think twice about hurting you. And _I can't protect you. _You may think you can handle yourself, but if something happens to you and I couldn't protect you… Elena will never forgive me."

_Damn it_, Damon thought. He hadn't thought about that. He couldn't do anything reckless or stupid because he couldn't leave her.

"She needs you," Bonnie said. "As much as I wish she didn't, as much as I wish you weren't such a big part of her life, she does and you are. She expects me to protect you just like I protect everyone else. I can't let anything happen to you, Damon because it will kill her."

He let the rush of information sink in before he nodded. "Okay," he agreed.

She blew out a breath, relieved. "Alright, lets go."

* * *

Luka and Jonah were surprised to see them. Their eyes went wide when they saw Damon and Bonnie approach.

"Bonnie," Luka said, shocked. "W-what are you doing here?"

"We could ask you the same," Damon said.

"Damon," she warned before turning back to Luka and Jonah.

"We don't want a problem," Bonnie said, genuinely. "We just want to know the truth."

"Bonnie what are you talking about?" Luka asked, looking so genuinely confused they almost believed him. Almost.

"You know, Luka," Bonnie said.

Luka opened his mouth to deny the accusations but Jonah put out a hand, stopping him.

"We just want to know the truth," Bonnie said. "We live here too. We deserve to know what's happening here."

Jonah cocked his head to the side. "How long have you been suspicious of us?" he asked, curiously.

"Awhile," Bonnie admitted and Damon had to give it to her, she handled problems well. If it had been just him there talking to them, someone would probably already be dead. "Of course, we didn't know for certain but we've been suspicious."

Jonah nodded. "I'm sorry we had to lie to everyone, but I found it would be best that way."

"You're working with Elijah aren't you?" Damon asked.

Jonah nodded. "Yes," he said.

Distaste showed on Damon's face and he had to swallow back a comment.

"The judgment on your face…" Jonah said. "You don't know Elijah well do you?"

"Not exactly," Damon said, smirking. "We're not exactly friends. All chance of that died when I staked him to a wall, unsuccessfully killing him."

Luka's eyes widened but Jonah remained collected. "He's protecting her, you know."

Damon stiffened. "Excuse me?"

"Elena," he said. "He's protecting her. That's why we came here: to protect her."

"All of this just to protect one girl?" Damon asked, though he didn't believe his own words. Elena wasn't just some girl.

"Elena is the doppelganger," Jonah said, simply. "She has to be protected."

"But why would Elijah care?" Bonnie asked. "Klaus wants her to break the curse. A curse that would benefit Elijah if it was broken."

Jonah shook his head. "Elijah wants Klaus dead more than he wants the curse broken. He can already walk in the sunlight so nothing would directly benefit him if the curse was broken."

"Why does he want Klaus dead?" Bonnie asked.

Jonah and Luka's eyes both noticeably darkened. "Anyone who is familiar with Klaus wants him dead. He is insane and needs to die."

"Why you?" Damon asked. "Why did Elijah choose you to protect Elena?"

Jonah hesitated and Damon almost snapped at him but bit back the comment, his mind drifting back to the conversation with Bonnie in the car. "We don't need to keep secrets," Bonnie said. "We're all working towards a common goal and that's to protect Elena. Our motive is because we love her. We just want to know your motives."

"My daughter," Jonah said, sadness entering his voice. "Klaus has her. He's keeping her for the sacrifice. We just want her back. Elijah said if we protected Elena and helped him kill Klaus, we would get her back. Elijah keeps his word."

Bonnie nodded. "I'm sorry about your daughter," she said. She motioned to the four of them. "This doesn't have to be hard. We can all work together."

Damon had to forcibly bite his tongue not to say something. "Anything else we should know about?" he asked, eyeing the two of them.

"No," Jonah said. "Do we need to know anything?"

Damon opened his mouth to say no but Bonnie stopped him.

"Damon," she said.

Damn it. He didn't want to tell Luka and Jonah that Elena was pregnant. Bonnie may trust these people, but he didn't. He didn't like them hovering in his town even if it was to protect Elena. Especially when they're working with Elijah.

"She's pregnant," Damon said, watching the surprise cross their faces. "We've been hiding it for awhile but we won't be able to much longer. She needs extra protection."

Jonah nodded. "Then she'll get it."

"This doesn't change anything?" Bonnie asked, making sure.

Jonah shook his head. "She is still the doppelganger. She still needs to be protected. This doesn't change anything."

"Thank you," Bonnie said, looking relieved.

"How exactly do you plan on killing Klaus?" Damon asked, curiously.

Jonah's face became skeptical. "I can't tell you that Damon," he said. "I'm sorry but I can't."

"What happened to being truthful?" Damon asked.

"Elijah doesn't want us to tell anyone that," he said. "Its too dangerous. Worry about protecting Elena and we will do the same."

Damon could have argued but he wanted to get home to Elena before she woke up and panicked and he had a feeling he wasn't getting anything else out of them.

Damon nodded once and Jonah began walking to the car, also ready to leave. He turned when he noticed his son wasn't following him.

"Luka?"

"Give me a minute," he said, looking at Bonnie.

Damon decided it was time to go to the car. He didn't want to hear whatever they were about to talk about.

He gave Bonnie a nod and descended to his car, leaving the two kids to talk out their problems.

He had hoped Elena would still be asleep when he got home. Of course, that wasn't the case. He walked in the door to see her sitting at the table with a cup of tea in her hands. Her face filled with relief when she saw him. She sat down the tea and jumped up, running to him. She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him tight to her.

"Where the hell were you?" she asked her voice rising with stress. "I've been worried sick."

"Did you not get the letter?"

She rolled her eyes. "'I hope you don't have to read this but if you do Bonnie needed me and I'll be home soon. Don't worry,'" she said, mimicking the letter. "Was that suppose to stop me from worrying?"

"Sorry," he said, realizing how unsatisfying that letter must have been. "But I knew if I woke you up you'd want to come."

"Of course," she said, exasperated. "What happened? Where did you go?"

"We went and talked to Luka and Jonah," Damon explained.

"What happened?" she asked, eyes wide.

"We came to an agreement," he said. "And Bonnie stayed back to talk to Luka."

"What happened?" she asked, eyes softening. "Is she okay?"

Damon shrugged. "I don't know. I left. I'm sure you'll know first thing in the morning."

She sighed. "Are we all good?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "We're all good."

She sat down and yawed.

"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her up. "You need to go back to sleep."


	17. Chapter 17

I'm so sorry its taken me so long to update! I've had horrible writer's block lately and nothing has been coming out right. Thankfully, Bonnie inspired me and she pretty much is this chapter. She is just so kick ass. I might just write a story on her in the future. Anyways, this is your last chance to vote on the poll about the gender of the baby so don't forget to do that! Next chapter is going to be set about two months into the future and the story is going to pick up speed after that. Review!

* * *

Bonnie stared at the boy she thought she loved, her insides feeling icy. When she looked into Luka's brown eyes, she no longer saw warmth and love and familiarity. She saw a liar, a fake and a stranger. Luka had been lying to her about everything. It was lies from the moment they spoke. Had anything over the course of the last year been truthful? Or was it all just part of their plan? She felt stupid. She felt like a dumb, clueless girl who had been oblivious to the fact that her "kind, sweet, perfect" boyfriend was actually a lying fake. How could she have not known that Luka and Jonah were working with Elijah? Now that she knew the truth, she didn't understand how she could have possibly overlooked it. It was so obvious. They show up a little after Elijah did and Elijah and Elena's deal stated that he would keep those who she loved safe. She'd never felt so much anger and foolishness in her life.

"Bonnie, please let me explain," he pleaded, his brown eyes desperate and wide. He took a step forward and she sent him a warning expression. The calm, cool, collected Bonnie that had been dealing with Jonah and Damon was replaced by pissed, crazy, soon to be ex girlfriend Bonnie.

"You're a liar, Luka," she said. "There is nothing to explain."

"Yes, there is," he said, willing her to understand his point of view. "I couldn't tell you the truth. I wanted to but I couldn't."

"Why not?" she asked, her voice rising with exasperation. "You could have been honest with me. You could have just explained everything and everything would have been okay!"

"Its not that simple," he disagreed.

"It is that simple!"

"Bonnie, it just isn't!" he said, running a hand over his head. "I couldn't jeopardize getting my sister back."

"I would have helped you!" Bonnie said, knowing it was the truth. She would have done everything possible to help them. That was who she was. It hurt her to think that Luka didn't know that. "You know me! You know that I would do that."

"I know that now," he explained. "But Bonnie, I didn't then. I didn't know who you were or what you believed. I didn't know how protective and caring you were. I just didn't know."

"What about after you figured all that out?" she asked, feeling a heavy weight begin to form where her heart was. "Why didn't you explain everything?"

He sighed, looking defeated. "Bonnie, by the time I knew that I could trust you, I knew that you wouldn't trust me anymore. I knew you wouldn't forgive me for lying to you."

"You don't know that," she argued. "Maybe if you had told, if you had just been honest with me I could have forgiven you."

"I couldn't risk losing you," he said.

She felt tears begin to form and she tried to blink them away. Instead, blinking caused them to escape from her eyes and roll down her cheeks. She didn't try to wipe them away or hide. She wanted Luka to know that he hurt her by lying to her. "But don't you see?" she asked, her voice sounding sad and hurt. "You have lost me."

The words hurt her like a physical blow and she almost took them back. She almost fell into his arms and sobbed, saying everything would be okay and they could work it out. They could get past this bump and be normal again. They could make it work. But she didn't because she knew the truth. Nothing between them would ever be the same. He had lied about everything for so long. She couldn't trust him. There would always be secrets between them. Jonah had said that they couldn't tell them how they were going to defeat Klaus. That was a secret from the beginning. She just had to face it. Luka and her were over. For good.

Hurt shown on his face and he took another step forward. Just like before she stopped him. She put her hands out in front of her and shook her head, more tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Please Bonnie," he begged. "I can fix this."

"You can't," she said, feeling the conversation coming to a close. "I trust you to protect Elena and everyone she loves, but I can't trust you in any other way."

"I love you," he said, desperately. "Don't do this."

"Its already done," she said, turning on her heel and making her way back to her car. She didn't look back the long way back to the car. She stayed strong. Damon's car was gone and she was grateful. She was about to burst into pieces and she didn't particularly want him to see that. The hatred she had always felt towards Damon was slowly fading and she was beginning to trust him. She still was wary of him at times, but she knew that he loved Elena and would never hurt her. In no way did she see friendship in Damon, but she saw somewhat of a comfortable truce. She knew that in the future, instead fighting against each other, they would be fighting with each other.

She finally reached her car and got inside, happy that she was alone. She pulled in a quivering breath and started her car, wanting to get away from this place. She had no idea how long she had been driving until the sun came up, making everything look bright and happy. She continued to drive nowhere. She didn't want to go home to her empty house and she sure as hell wasn't going back to Luka's, though she had to at some point to get her stuff. Oh well, she'd worry about that later. She could always go to Caroline's but she probably wasn't alone and she did not need to walk in on Caroline and Tyler hooking up. She could always call Elena, but she knew that Elena was with Damon.

She sighed, weighing her object.

_To hell with it_, she thought and picked up her phone. She dialed Elena's number and waited for her to pick up.

"Hello?" Elena answered, sounding like she had already been awake.

"Hey, Elena," Bonnie said, realizing how horrible her voice sounded.

"Bonnie!" Elena exclaimed. "Are you alright? What happened? Tell me everything!"

"Can we meet somewhere?" she asked.

"Of course," Elena said, not hesitating a second.

"Are you still with Damon at the boarding house?"

"Yeah, but I can go home and meet you there?"

"I'll just pick you up," Bonnie said, turning down a road that would lead to the boarding house. "We were suppose to be staying with each other anyways, remember?"

"Right," Elena said. "Yeah, I remember."

"I'll be there in a couple of minutes okay?"

"Okay," Elena said before hanging up.

"Alright," Elena said as they drove down the road to her house. "I called Jenna and told her we'd be coming and to get out the sad movies and ice-cream. I called Caroline too. She'll be there about the same time we'll be."

Bonnie felt so grateful to have a friend like Elena. She always knew what to do in any situation. "Thanks," she said, shooting her friend an appreciated look. "But I don't want you all to go to trouble for me."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Trust me, its not any trouble. We've been needing a girl's day anyways. This will be perfect. Jenna needs it to. Her best friend has been vodka since I told her everything."

Bonnie cringed. "She didn't take it well?"

"I think it was just learning everything at once," Elena explained. "It wasn't just telling her about vampires. It was telling her about vampires, werewolves, witches, doppelgangers, Originals, curses and babies all at once. Not to mention that she was pretty much the only one that didn't know about it."

"God, our lives are weird," Bonnie said, shaking her brown curls.

"That's for sure," Elena agreed.

The house came into view then and Bonnie pulled into the driveway behind Elena's car. They walked to the front door and Elena pulled out her key, unlocking it. Jenna was in the kitchen, waiting. She looked exhausted Bonnie noticed. Dark circles were underneath her eyes and she looked pale.

Bonnie offered a small smile to Jenna, who smiled back in return,. "You look horrible," Jenna said.

"You don't look so great either," Bonnie noted.

Jenna sighed. "You have no idea."

"Alright," Elena said, walking over to the fridge. She opened up the door and pulled out a huge container of chocolate ice-cream and then got spoons out of the drawer. Someone knocked at the door and Elena sat the stuff on the counter and went to get it. A few seconds later Caroline came in, movies, vodka and ice-cream in her hands. "I've got the Notebook, A Walk To Remember, Tristan & Isolde, the Titanic, alcohol and ice-cream."

"Perfect," Bonnie said.

Caroline came in and sat it all down on the counter.

They heard footsteps on the stairs and Jeremy appeared. He stopped when he saw all of them and what was on the counter. Sighing, he turned back around and said, "I'm going to go hang out with Tyler."

He disappeared out the door and they all laughed.

"I'll be needing that," Jenna said, reaching for the vodka.

"Share," Bonnie said.

* * *

"I can't believe Luka was lying this entire time," Bonnie fumed, sticking a spoon of chocolate ice-cream in her mouth, followed by a sip of vodka. Caroline, Elena, Bonnie and Jenna were all sitting on the couch. They had already watched Tristan & Isolde and A Walk To Remember and were about to put on the Titanic.

"I can't believe that you're a witch and you're a vampire," Jenna said, shaking her head in a disbelief. Bonnie handed her the ice-cream and vodka.

"_I_ can't believe I'm a vampire," Caroline said, taking a bite. "And my boyfriend is a werewolf."

"I can't believe I'm pregnant," Elena said, taking the tub from Caroline. "And I'm with Damon."

"I can't believe no one told me!" Jenna said, exasperated.

The all gave her an apologetic look and a chorus of "sorry."

"Am I the only one who didn't know about this stuff?" she asked.

"Matt doesn't," Elena said, trying to make her aunt feel better.

Jenna shook her head. "My niece is pregnant and dating a vampire. She's needed to break a curse in which she dies. Her best friends are a witch and a vampire. My boyfriend is a vampire hunter with an ex-vampire wife. And I use to think having a druggie nephew was complicated."

Elena and Bonnie laughed. "And my boyfriend's a werewolf," Caroline said. "Don't forget that."

"How could I forget?" Jenna grumbled.

* * *

**Review and vote(:**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey people! So I hope you voted because you find out this chapter whether the baby is a boy or girl! I had originally planned to do the opposite of what you're going to find out, but this option was most chosen. Not to mention, I've been thinking about a sequel and I've decided I am doing one and this is the gender I needed. Sooooo I hope you like the chapter and don't forget to review!**

* * *

Elena was extremely excited. She and Damon were on the way to the doctor's for another checkup and possibly to find out the gender. Elena had struggled with the decision to go ahead and found out rather than let it be a surprise when he or she was born. She figured it would be more exciting and suspenseful to wait, but decorating the nursery and buying clothes and other necessities would be harder if she waited and she didn't believe yellow would work for a boy or a girl. Overall, curiosity won and she decided she wanted to know.

As the house neared, her excitement peaked.

The last two months had gone very well. She and Damon had grown closer if that was even possible and when she wasn't at school, she was with him. Jenna had been hesitate about it at first, disapproving of her teenage niece more or less living with her boyfriend, but Elena had pointed out that being with Damon was the safest possible place she could be. And it wasn't like they were two horny teenagers, doomed to end. She knew Damon and she were forever, and it wasn't like she could get pregnant. That had already happened. So Elena spent most of her time with Damon. She loved every second of it, whether it was watching movies and talking about unimportant things, or planning for the future and wondering what was going to lay ahead, they enjoyed their time together. Damon was still Damon, but in the last couple of months she began to see a glimpse of how he was before Katherine and becoming a vampire. He was genuinely sweet and caring, though 162 years of negativity and pain couldn't be completely washed away. She still got the sarcastic smiles and eye rolls, but they weren't usually directed at her anymore. Damon was still Damon and always would be Damon, but she saw that he had another side, one that he had kept buried for a long, long time.

It was mid May and the trees surrounding them were beautiful and alive, some having those horrible smelling, yet beautiful white flowers on them. It was warm outside and Elena had the window down, enjoying the breeze on her face. She was happily in shorts and a short sleeve shirt, her baby bump finally starting to show after the last five months. It wasn't huge but it was enough to raise a couple of questions. More or less everyone at school and around town knew and she would admit, sometimes people constantly talking about her bothered her, but mostly she ignored it. No, this hadn't been planned but she wasn't some irresponsible teenager and her baby was not a mistake and in no way did she regret it.

School only had a month left and she certainly was feeling the excitement. One more month and she wouldn't have to be worried about school and grades and college anymore. She wouldn't have to have Caroline compel teachers and staff to think that she had been in class. She wouldn't have to worry about that seemingly unimportant part of her life anymore. She had decided that was she was going to college but not for a little while. She'd worry about that after the baby was born and life calmed down a little.

The story was that Damon was the father. No one had specifically asked how it happened so there wasn't an official story to go along with it. It had just happened. That was pretty much the story. She was going to tell the truth. She was going to say it was Stefan's, but Damon had stopped her.

Her mind drifted back to the conversation.

_"I can't hide it much longer," she had said one night while she and Damon were laying in bed. _

_"Then don't," he said. "Luka and Jonah know, which means Elijah knows. Its been a month and nothing has happened so this must not mean much to him. You're still the doppelganger."_

_"I know," she said, feeling slightly foolish. The reason of her hesitance to tell everyone was stupid and childish, but she felt it nonetheless._

_"What is it then?" he asked, looking confused. "You aren't worried about what people are going to say are you?"_

_She rolled her eyes. "No," she said. "I'm not ashamed or embarrassed."_

_"Then what is it?"_

_She bit her lip. _

_He nudged her. "Come on, you can tell me," he said, sincerely. _

_"Its kind of stupid," she warned._

_"Please?" he asked._

_She sighed. "Its just that… I don't want to have to tell everyone that the baby is Stefan's and that he left. I don't want people to think 'poor Elena. Stefan got her pregnant and then skipped town.' I just don't want Stefan to have anything to do with this. Yes, so the baby is his but…" She trailed off, blush rising in her cheeks for what she was about to say._

_His eyes were soft and comforting. "But what?"_

_She ducked her head and laid it against his chest. "I wish it wasn't," she whispered and she knew he understood what her words meant. She wished more than anything in this world that it was Damon's and not Stefan's. _

_He was quiet for a moment before wrapping his arms securely around her and pulling her against him. "So tell everyone that the baby is mine," he breathed._

_She froze. She hadn't expected that. "You don't have to do that," she said, though she wanted that more than anything. _

_"I know," he said, sounding unsure and awkward, not something she heard in Damon's voice often. "But I want to. Of course, if you don't want to that's find. I just thought-"_

_She raised her head and planted a kiss on his lips. "I want that," she said, feeling with happiness and warmth._

_He smiled, stealing her breath. She kissed him again and slowly began lifting up his shirt. She marveled at his chest and threw the shirt on the floor. She kissed him on the mouth and then the shoulder, slowly trailing her way down-_

"What are you thinking about?" Damon asked, pullign her back intio the car and causign her to blush.

"Nothing," she said, quickly, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "Just excited."

She saw him smile from the corner of her eye. "You won't have to be much longer," he said. "We're here."

* * *

"Alright Elena," Dr. Robin said. "Everything looks good. I assume your still taking in Damon's blood?"

Elena nodded.

"I really think its helped," she said. "Everything looks completely normal."

"Can you tell?" she asked, the curiosity having won. "Whether it's a boy or girl?"

"I can," she said, a smile tugging on her lips. "Congratulations, it's a girl."

Elena felt like she was going to burst with happiness. She had always imagined having a daughter when she did think about kids. As long as the baby was healthy, she was okay but having a girl just seemed… right. It made everything feel whole and complete.

Damon leaned down and brushed his lips against her. "Congratulations, mommy," he whispered.

"And to you too, daddy."

She didn't miss the warmth and happiness that entered his eyes.

"Now," Dr. Robin said. "I want to start moving these check ups to the hospital. I was hesitant about it at first but everything seems normal so I think we should do that for now. I'll still be your doctor and if something changes, we can certainly rethink our plan."

Elena nodded. That was perfectly fine with her. Everything was perfect at this moment.

* * *

"It's a girl!" Elena announced as soon as she saw her family and friends sitting at a table in the Grill. They had all planned to meet there so she could tell them. Well, Jenna, Bonnie and Caroline had decided that and made Tyler, Alaric and Jeremy come.

The three girls jumped up and ran to Elena, squeezing her to death.

"Ohmygosh!" Caroline gushed. "Congratulations!"

"I can't wait to go baby shopping!" Bonnie said.

"Congratulations," Jenna said, smiling widely.

After another few minutes of girly gushing, they sat down and Elena got three more congratulations. They ordered food and the girls continued to gush and Caroline was throwing more baby names at her than she could absorb. She listened but also watched everyone around her too. Tyler was staring at Caroline dreamily and if it wasn't so sweet, she would have rolled her eyes. Jenna and Alaric were talking quietly to themselves. She paused when she saw Jeremy and Bonnie. They were talking and it seemed innocent but Elena sensed something was up between the two. Maybe it was the look in Jeremy's eyes as he watched her best friend and the look her best friend returned to her little brother. She raised an eyebrow. She wondered what was going on there. She made a mental note to question them about that later.

"You're glowing," someone whispered in her ear, ticking her with their hot breath.

She smiled and turned to Damon, who was smiling affectionately at her. "Thank you," she said, winking.

He felt his hands begin to drawl playful, teasing circles on her bare thigh and she felt blush creep up in her cheeks. She leaned into him and swatted his hand away, repressing the urge to giggle like a school girl. "Later," she whispered.


	19. Chapter 19

**So this chapter is a little dramatic and you find out something… Enjoy and don't forget to review!**

* * *

Graduation.

Elena never thought the word would sound so, so sweet. She remembered being a freshman, when she would day dream at the end of the year that it would be _her_ that'd walk across the stage in a dark blue cap and gown. She'd dream that in just a couple of months, she'd be going to college to become a journalist and would meet the man of her dreams. They'd move out of their dorms into a small, one bedroom apartment until they graduated and then they'd both get glamorous jobs someplace like New York City and would begin their lives. Of course, as the time went on, she stopped thinking like that because she started actually liking high school and then she started dating Matt. And at the same time, she realized that life after graduation wasn't going to be a fairytale and she started liking the safe life she had in high school. But after the last two years, she was very, very ready to graduate and get away from the responsibility of sitting in a classroom, day after day when so many more important, life threatening things were happening.

Her friends felt much the same way. Tyler and Caroline were because Caroline, of course, wasn't aging and as for Tyler, since he'd turn they'd only discovered very, very small changes. They had a theory that his rate of growing and maturing had slowed down by a large amount and everyone was curious about his future. Would he die at a normal, human age or would he stop growing all together and be an immortal? She had to admit, the curiosity was eating at her. They'd decided to stick around town instead heading off to college. Elena had voiced her objection to that but Caroline had simply said that we they all needed to stay together.

Elena had accepted it because that was the truth, but when Bonnie told her the same thing, she felt much, much more opposed to the idea.

"_Bonnie, don't be stupid!" Elena had said, frustrated after being told Bonnie wasn't going to college. "You can't just not go!"_

"_You're not going," Bonnie pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest. _

"_The circumstances are a little different though," Elena said, pointing down at her baby bump. _

"_Look, Elena," Bonnie said, "I'm going to go to college. Just not right now. With the curse and Klaus and Elijah… I just don't think its a good idea. I need to be right here in Mystic Falls to help protect the town."_

"_But what if Elijah can't find Klaus right away?" Elena challenged. "How long are you willing to put your life on hold?"_

_Bonnie shrugged, looking way too unconcerned about the whole thing. "I don't look at it that way," she said. "I'm protecting my friends. That's not an incontinence to me."_

"_Don't put your life on hold for me," Elena said. _

"_Its not just that, Elena," Bonnie said, suddenly looking a little uncomfortable. "I'm not ready to leave yet. I'm not ready to leave my friends and my family and…."_

"_And Jeremy," Elena guessed. Bonnie and Jeremy had been spending a lot of time together and more than just in a "I'm the brother of your best friend" kind of way. Elena noticed secret looks and odd vibes when they were all together. It was like there was some tension between them that couldn't be voiced. It reminded Elena of the time when she and Stefan had pretended to not be together so Katherine would back off. She wasn't the only one who felt this way and Damon had mentioned it one night when Bonnie and Jeremy had just left the Boarding House. His suspicion confirmed her's. Something was definitely going on with the two. _

"_W-what?" Bonnie asked, trying to hide the "deer in the headlight" look and the panic in her voice. "Jeremy? Why would you think that?"_

_Elena sighed. There had been a time where Bonnie would tell her anything, even that she liked her brother. "Bonnie, come on," Elena said, a comforting smile tugging on her lips. "You don't have to hide it. You and Jeremy like each other."_

_Bonnie continued to look stubborn, but after a few seconds sat down on Elena's bed, looking defeated. "Was it that obvious?" she asked, timidly._

_Elena rolled her eyes and smiled. She sat down and took her best friends hand. "You're my best friend and Jeremy is my brother," she said. "I know when something is going on."_

"_We were going to tell you," Bonnie defended them. "We just didn't want to be any more stress and-"_

_Elena waved her hand dismissively, stopping Bonnie's ramble. "You two like each other. So what? You have every right to be happy."_

"_So it doesn't bother you that we like each other?" Bonnie asked, hope shining on her face. _

_Sure, it was definitely a little weird. She wasn't going to lie but everyone had been so wrapped up in protecting her- especially Bonnie- that she was happy that she had found someone that made her happy, even if it was her little brother. _

_Bonnie waited impatiently for the answer, biting her lip._

"_Of course not," Elena said, causing a wide smile to form on the witch's lip and she threw her arms around her. "I just wished you wouldn't have thought you had to hide it from me. I'm your best friend, Bon. That's not changed."_

"_I know, I know!" Bonnie exclaimed, happily. "I'm sorry and it won't happen again!"_

She was glad that she knew what was happening between them but she couldn't help but feel a little guilty because she hadn't been truthful with everyone. But this was more than liking someone. This was something big and when everyone found out… they would be furious with her. It had been bothering her for weeks but she hasn't told anyone yet because when she does, everything will change.

"You look nice," Damon commented from inside her doorway.

She hid all the guilt and worry and replaced it with a smile before turning around. "Thank you," she said, trying to keep her voice light and easy. Damon looked gorgeous in his signature dark jeans and black shirt. His hair was perfectly messy and he was wearing that smirk she use to hate but had come to love. She couldn't help but notice how completely opposite they looked. She was wearing a simple white dress that would be comfortable underneath her gown.

His smirk faded and was replaced with worry and suspicion.

Damn it.

"What?" she asked, trying to look innocent.

He looked her over. "You look… worried," he said. "You have been for the last couple of weeks."

_Damn it, damn it, damn it_! She tried to stop her panic but couldn't help it. She wasn't ready for anyone to know yet. She'd done a damn good job of hiding it and she knew when Damon found out, it wasn't going to be good. It was going to be really, really bad actually.

She shrugged nonchalantly but some of her panic had leaked out and he was across the room in a second hugging her. "Are you nervous?" he asked.

For just a second, she thought he knew but he then asked, "About graduation?"

Whew. Close one. "Yeah," she said, feeling even more guilty for lying to him. The secret was coming out eventually and the sooner the better. But she just wasn't ready yet. She had planned to never tell anyone but she knew that was unrealistic. They would find out.

"Don't be," Damon said, sweetly. It was true that when you felt guilty about something, everyone seemed to be so comforting, even if they didn't know it. She felt sick with guilt. "I thought you were happy about graduation?"

She pulled away from him and walked over to her mirror- one of the few things still left in her room- and smoothed her dress down. She was moving in with Damon so they had already moved most of her stuff to the Boarding House, but a few things still remained. She would have gotten ready at Damon's, but she knew Jenna wanted to share this moment and she wasn't going to deny her of that. Her aunt had gone through a lot and she deserved to have at least one day of normal.

Damon looked surprised that she walked away and he looked even more worried. Elena didn't pull away very often. Scratch that. Ever. She didn't pull away ever. "I am," she said, slowly. "Its just that- I don't know. Its just weird I guess."

She watched in the mirror as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He sat his chin down on her shoulder and smiled. She smiled back in the mirror.

"A big part of your life is coming to a close," he said. "Its okay to feel a little… weirded out by that."

She forced herself to smile wider. "You're right," she said, turning around. She looked up into those blue eyes of his and quickly hugged him, hiding the tears that were forming in her eyes.

She'd tell him soon. He deserved to know. It was his life now, too.

* * *

Mystic Falls High School graduation was held out on the football field. Chairs were set up, row after row and there was a makeshift stage set up with a podium and another set of chairs for faculty and staff. The high school had a low number of students so they hadn't seen the need to rent out an auditorium or anything like that. When they'd arrived, Jenna, Jeremy and Damon had been ordered to go ahead and take their seats and the students had been told to head to the gym, where they would be put in alphabetical order.

She quickly met up with Bonnie and Caroline, clad in their graduation cap and gown, who were smiling widely and talking. She saw Tyler and Matt off to the side talking. Matt was messing with the cap, looking annoyed and Elena laughed, shaking her head at them. Caroline and Bonnie rushed to her when they saw her approaching and gave her a choking hug.

"Can you believe it?" Caroline gushed, tears forming in her eyes. "We're graduating!"

"I know!" Elena said, sounding less enthusiastic than Caroline. Of course, no one was as happy as Caroline. Despite the recent drama of their lives, she had managed to keep perfect grades and her volunteer work was threw the roof, so she was chosen as Valedictorian. The moment she found out she had called Elena, completely freaking out. She hadn't heard the speech yet (Caroline wanted them to have the full effect of hearing it for the first time) but she knew it was going to be amazing.

"I can't believe its just… over," Bonnie said, not looking upset about it.

Caroline rolled her eyes at her friend's lack of enthusiasm. "Come on!" she said, her voice high with annoyance. "Be excited! We're graduating!"

"Sorry!" Bonnie said, breaking into a wide smile, which Elena thought was directed towards them but when she saw Jeremy walking up to them, she knew better.

"Hey, guys," Jeremy said, wrapping an arm lazily around Bonnie waist. She blushed and Caroline and Elena smiled at the two.

"Hey," they all chorused.

Tyler and Matt saw them and ventured over to the group. They went into easy conversation, mostly about graduation and what Matt was going after the summer and things along the lines of that. Elena couldn't help but smile at the total normalcy of it. It felt like- for just a minute- everything was back to normal, where vampires and werewolves didn't exist. Doppelgangers and curses were just fiction and they were all normal, teenagers. She felt Damon's arms wrap around her and the normalcy shattered, but not in a bad way. This was her life now. And she loved it.

They continued to talk and Elena felt Matt's eyes on her and Damon until Alaric came over and said they had to go to their seats. Damon shot him a look but didn't argue. Alaric and another teacher began frantically trying to get them in order.

"You and Damon, huh?" Matt asked, as they waited for their spot.

"Yeah," Elena said. "Me and Damon."

"Never thought I'd see that one happen," Matt said.

"Me either," she said, shrugging. "But things never turn out the way you think."

"Guess so," he said, looking at Caroline and Tyler, who had their heads bent close together and were talking.

Elena felt bad for a moment. She had been so wrapped up in her own life, she had kind of forgot about Matt. Well, not forgot, but they weren't as close. There use to be a time when they could talk to each other about anything and everything. But then everything with vampires and curses happened, not to mention her current boyfriend turned his sister, and her ex-boyfriend had staked her. Things just weren't the same with them.

She touched his arm gently. "Matt, I'm sorry that things haven't been… I don't know, good with us," she said, genuinely. After their awkward post breakup stage, things had gone back to normal. They were close friends.

He shrugged. "You've been… busy," he said, his eyes going to her bloated stomach.

The words weren't insulting, but his tone of voice certainly was. She withdrew her hand and gave him a pointed look. "Don't look at me like that," she snapped.

"Like what?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Like… like I'm some stupid girl who couldn't keep her legs closed," she said, heat rising to her cheeks in anger.

"I'm not!" he said, quickly, looking guilty. "I mean, I'm not trying to. Look, its just weird, you know? It feels like a week ago you and Stefan were together and we would all go out to the Grill after games and now, Stefan's gone, your with Damon and pregnant. I feel like I don't even know you anymore."

She sighed, some of the anger receding. "Believe me, Matt, I know. But I'm happy. Happier than when I was with Stefan. And, no I didn't plan on having a baby anytime soon, but I'm not ashamed or regretful."

He smiled his boyish smile then, causing her to smile back. He pulled her into a friendly hug. "Then I'm happy for you. And if anyone can do it, its you."

She hugged him back and said, "I'll miss you Matt Donovan."

"I'm not going that far," he said, pulling back to look at her. He looked a little surprised at the tears in her eyes, but didn't comment. "UR isn't that far away. I'll still visit and everything."

"I know," she said, though that hadn't been what she'd meant, "Its just going to be weird."

Alaric called his name then and he gave her a wave and smile before heading off to his spot in the line.

Caroline and Tyler were off in the corner and she was reading over her note cards, looking nervous. Bonnie was already in line so she just stood there, waiting for her name to be called. Finally, her name was called and she sauntered over to her spot. Her mind was wandering until the teacher said that they were starting and she felt a flutter of nervousness. The music began and they began walking.

…

After sitting down, Caroline was called up to the stage for her speech. Only because Elena knew her so well did she see the nervousness in her eyes instead of the calm, collected looking cheerleader everyone else saw. Everyone quieted so she could begin.

Caroline gave everyone a bright smile and began. "Wow," she said, shaking her blonde curls as she looked at the crowd. "I think the first thing that needs to be said is guys, we did it! We're done!"

The crowd erupted in cheer before the teachers quieted them down.

"A little over four years ago, we walked into those school doors as scared, uncertain freshman. We didn't now who we were or who we wanted to be. We were just kids. And for a lot of us, we still are. We still are uncertain of who we're going to be in the world. And its scary because after today, everything changes. We become adults today. And while that's terrifying, its also exciting. The opportunities are endless. We can be whatever we want to be from this day on.

"So whether you want to be a doctor, or a writer, or if you're like me, you have absolutely no idea what you want to be, you can do it. And if you start and you don't like it, change your mind. We're only human, and we only have one life, so there is no reason why you shouldn't do exactly what you want to do."

A very select number of people had to chuckle at the whole "human, one life thing" because for quite a few people there, that wasn't the case. They had a lot more than one life to do what they want. They had eternity.

Caroline smiled and winked at the crowd before continuing. "So I could stand up here and continue to talk about how we're all going to make a difference in the world and we are the future, but I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to get the hell out of here!"

The crowd erupted in cheer and the staff and faculty shook there head, though they also wore a smile. "So, my fellow peers," Caroline said, "Have a nice life!"

Everyone cheered and this time, no one stopped them.

…

One by one, every senior student of Mystic Falls High was called up to get there diploma. A lot of parents were teary eyed, as were the students, but for most, it was all smiles and excitement. Elena cheered like crazy when Bonnie, Matt and Caroline got their diplomas. And then, it was her name that was called and she was the one shaking the principles hand and taking her diploma. She looked out at the crowd and saw Jenna, Jeremy and Damon cheering and waving. Damon gave her a wink and she smiled.

And then names were continuously called until the very last name was called, the principle said a few words and everyone threw up their caps.

And then it was over.

After it was over, people began filling out with their family and friends. They all decided to go to the Grill to celebrate. It was extremely crowded when they got there but they managed to get a table large enough for all of them. They ordered and ate while parents talked and everyone else just relaxed. Elena, however, wasn't relaxing. She was on edge. She had been since she woke up in the morning and it wasn't helping that the air was filled with a feeling of finality.

But she smiled and pretended to be okay. She fooled everyone with her smile and everything was flowing smoothly. No one suspected a thing, even Damon. Well, she thought she was doing a good job of pretending.

Bonnie reached her hand out and touched Elena's arm. "You okay?" she asked, lowly. It was low enough that only Damon, Tyler and Caroline had heard it. She could feel Damon's eyes watching her closely, though she pretended not to notice.

"I'm fine," she said, lightly. "Why?"

"I don't know," Bonnie said, not believing when Elena said she was fine. "You just look…distant or something."

Elena shrugged and sipped her water. "I'm fine, just a little tired."

It wasn't long after that that people began leaving and they followed suit. Everyone began parting ways to go home with their family. Tyler gave everyone a quick goodbye before leaving with his mom and Caroline, Bonnie and Matt followed not long after.

"Are you going to ride home with us?" Jenna asked as they got up to leave.

"No," Elena said, shaking her head. "I'm going to go with Damon for while, but I'll be home later."

Jenna nodded and she, Alaric and Jeremy walked out the door. That left her with Damon, who had been usually quiet since Bonnie had made the comment about Elena looking distant.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded and they made their way to the car. He remained quiet as he opened up the door and throughout the entire car ride back to the Boarding House. Elena could feel the tension and she knew it was unavoidable. She was going to have to tell Damon. She couldn't keep it a secret much longer. They pulled up and they made there way into the house. The moment they stepped into the door, Damon started.

"Elena, you need to tell me what's wrong," he said, his eyebrows knitting together. "and don't say nothing. You've been tense and on edge ever since we talked this morning and I know its more than just graduation."

She sighed and sat down, motioning for him to sit down beside her. He did, looking immensely worried and she took his hand.

"Damon," she said, slowly, "I have to tell you something and you're not going to like it."

* * *

**I know, I know. I'm mean like that(: Hey, at least it was long. Review!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A little drama this chapter. So was everyone as shocked as I was by Thursday's episode? I was sitting there, opened mouthed thinking, "Holy crap, this totally is going to put a little kink in my stories!" Anyways, enjoy and review!**

* * *

"What is it?" Damon asked, fear, anxiety, worry and confusion all wrapped up and tied together on his face. His blue eyes were wide and agitated. "What's going on?"

She took a deep breath and squeezed his hand sympathetically. She knew what she was about to say would not be easy for him to understand. He would most likely be angry with her for keeping the truth from him- from everyone- for so long. He wouldn't understand why she had done it. She felt guilty for so much more than just keeping it from him, but what was done was done and there was no going back.

"Damon," she said, her voice steady despite the emotions floating through her and the words about to escape from her lips, "I'm going to die."

His face went completely blank for a moment. All the confusion, fear, anxiety, worry… it was all gone. His face was as blank as a statue and his body was just as lifeless. She just held his hand and let him soak up her words. Slowly, his face unfroze and emotion began to form. The first thing she saw was denial. Then there was fear and anger before finally, confusion.

"_What_," he said, the word coming out strangled, like something was in his throat, constricting his voice.

She sighed, realizing she could have done a better job with explaining, rather than just saying "I'm going to die." She bit her lip and looked at his beautiful face a moment. She knew that as soon as these words left her lips, things would not be the same. Damon would still love her- she was sure of that- and she would still love him, but there would always be a weight over their heads. It would no longer be easy, light, carefree. It would be replaced with waiting and a sense of end that neither of them wanted to ever feel, but would regardless.

"A year and a half ago, when I made that deal with Elijah, he promised to protect everyone I cared about," she said.

He nodded impatiently, as if to say "I know this. Go ahead with the part about how you're going to die."

"And in return, when Elijah found Klaus, I would go with him willingly," she said and paused for a moment.

Damon waited for a few seconds before he said, "Please, Elena. I _know_ this."

"Well," she said, smiling softly, though she had no idea why. Maybe it was just because it was hitting her now. She was going to die. Sooner rather than later. She didn't want to waste a single precious moment of looking at his face. She didn't want to waste time with anger and fear. "I didn't tell you everything about that deal."

"What do you mean?" he asked, a sick realization slowly forming on his face. "The deal was he would protect the people you cared about and in return, when he found Klaus you would go with him. He and the warlock would kill him and then they'd bring you home. Elena, that was the deal!" As he spoke, his voice changed to where it sounded like he was trying to convince himself rather than simply stating the deal.

She shook her head and felt tears form in her eyes. "Damon, I-I'm not coming back," she said, finally being truthful. It felt weird saying the words she had kept secret for so long out loud. It was like a weight had left her, but the relief didn't last long. One look at Damon's face and the weight was much, much worse and this time, it wasn't on her shoulder's. It was on her heart.

The sheer pain and denial on his face broke her heart. He remained silent, swallowing as if he was about to say something but couldn't get the words out. She continued, answering the question she knew was on his mind. It was only logical to ask it after something like that was said. "They're going to kill Klaus after the sacrifice when he's at his weakest. It's the only way."

He pulled his hand away from her's and stood up slowly. "No," he said, shaking his head. "You wouldn't make a deal like that."

She remained silent and offered nothing but an apologetic look. Of course, that wouldn't be enough but she didn't know what else to give. There wasn't really words that could offer relief to finding out that the person you love is going to die.

He shook his head and the look in his eyes made tears roll down Elena's cheeks. His eyes looked like they had a year and a half ago when he shoved a stake through Rose's heart after she was bitten by a werewolf. She was very, very sick for days and after days of suffering and lack of a cure, Damon staked Rose to put her out of her own misery. Damon wouldn't admit it, but he had cared about Rose and was upset when she died. Elena had seen how much and had talked to him, trying to avoid a Damon breakdown in which he went out a massacred a small group of people. She had been able to convince him to go to bed instead of going out. It was one of the few times she had seen him hurt and vulnerable. She felt closer to him in that moment.

And she'd never felt so far from him as she does now. He was just standing there, his fists clenched at his sides. "Please please, tell me you didn't make a deal allowing yourself to be killed."

She stood up and close the small distance between them. She reached out a hand to touch him, but thought better of it and allowed her hand to drop. "Damon, it was the only way I could keep every safe!"

"That's not heroic Elena," Damon said, bitterness and hurt laced in his voice. "Its tragic."

"I'm not trying to be heroic," she said, honestly. And she wasn't. Not once had she thought that she would be a hero if she died to save the people she loved. She didn't want to die, especially now. But a deal was a deal and now she was protecting even more people she cared about.

"What about your _daughter,_ Elena?" he asked.

Elena swallowed hard, willing herself not to break down. Of course she had thought about her. She didn't want to leave her daughter without a mother. She missed her mother horribly. But her daughter would probably never get the chance to know her. Elijah would find Klaus soon and it would all be over. And she hadn't had a daughter when she made the deal, nor had she ever thought she would. "Do you really think I want to die Damon?" Elena asked, quietly.

"I really don't know," he said, sourly. "I feel like I'm always saving your life. And half the time I'm saving you, its because you've put yourself in that position! You're so willing to give up your life!"

"To protect the people I love!" she said, her voice rising. "What's so wrong with that?"

"You haven't even lived yet!" he said, his voice rising with stress. "You're eighteen, Elena! You haven't seen the world. You haven't done or seen anything you should see. And stop saying you're protecting the people you love because we don't need protection."

"Maybe you don't think that!"

"I know that!" he said, fiercely. "We are not weak. None of us are. You're the only one that needs protection. You and your daughter. How are you so willing to let her grow up without a mother?"

"Because I know she won't be alone," Elena said. "She'll have you."

"That doesn't mean she won't need her mother," Damon argued.

"I would rather die knowing she was safe and everyone I loved would take care of her than die knowing everyone else is dying too," Elena said, willing him to understand.

"Damn it, Elena," he said, running a hand through his raven hair. "Why can't you ever be selfish? Why can't you just think about yourself for once?"

She hesitantly reached out and touched his hand, which was trembling slightly. "Because that's not who I am," she said. "I protect the people I care about, just like you do. You can't tell me you wouldn't give your life for me."

He opened his mouth but closed it, a somewhat defeated expression on his face. She had him there and they both knew it. Damon would jump in front of a train for her, walk out into the sunlight without his ring and chug vervain. And it was because he loved her, just like she loved him. She just wished he would see that.

"Why did you keep it a secret for so long?" he whispered, his jaw clenched.

"Because I didn't want this to happen," she said. "I didn't want everyone to try and save me."

"But we can try," he said, fierce determination shining in his eyes. "There has to be another way."

"There isn't," she said. "I'm going to die during the sacrifice and then somehow they're going to kill Klaus."

"How do you know Elijah and Klaus aren't working together to lure you in?"

She shook her head in response to that theory. "That wouldn't make sense. They could have easily taken me a long, long time ago. Elijah is an honorable man. He's honored our deal for over a year now. He keeps his word."

Damon shook his head and opened his mouth to launch back into the argument.

She raised a hand, shushing him. "I didn't tell you so we could argue," she said. "I told you because I need you to promise me something."

"What?" he asked, swallowing hard.

"Promise me that after she's born and I have to leave, you'll always take care of her. Promise me you'll never leave her."

He shook his head and began backing up. "There is no need to make that promise, because you aren't going to die Elena." And with that, he was out the door.

* * *

Alaric had gotten a strange text from Damon telling him to meet him at the Grill, so here he was, sitting at the bar sipping his drink and looking at his watch impatiently. Of course, Damon expected him to drop everything he was doing and meet him somewhere, only to keep him waiting. He'd been sitting here for twenty minutes and he was just about to leave when he saw Damon walk in, looking pissed.

_Oh Jesus_, Alaric thought. _I just pray he doesn't kill someone. _

Damon sat down at the stool beside him and ordered two shots of Scotch and told him to keep them coming. He threw one back immediately, without saying a word and threw the other back a few seconds later.

"Jesus," Alaric said. "What happened?"

Alaric knew there were only two things that could make Damon look like that, and that was Stefan and Elena. And since Stefan was long gone, he figured it was Elena.

"Well, Ric," Damon said, waiting impatiently for the other shot. "We've been kept in the dark for the last year and a half."

"What do you mean?" he asked, getting a really bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Apparently," Damon said, lowering his voice as to not get overheard, "When Elijah and Elena made that deal, part of it was that Klaus was going to die _after_ the sacrifice."

"After?" Alaric asked, his voice rising in shock. That meant Elena was going to die. No, no, no.

"Yup," Damon said, tossing back another shot. "She said she didn't want us to try and save her, so that's why she didn't tell anyone."

"Jesus," Alaric said, wiping a hand over his face. How was he going to explain that one to Jenna? She was finally coming to terms with everything and now she had to find out her niece was going to die? Not to mention everything else. No one would be okay with her giving up her life for them, especially not now. She had a _baby_ on the way, for god's sake!

"Wait, why did she tell you?" he asked.

"Because she wanted me to promise to take care of the baby," Damon said, shaking his head in disbelief. "How could she expect me to make that promise?"

"Because you love her and that baby," Alaric said, knowing it was true. There had been a time when Damon was a cold, dark monster who didn't care about anyone but himself, and maybe Katherine, but those days were over. Damon cared a lot more than he'd ever like to admit and he knew it, Alaric knew it, and everyone else knew it.

Damon shook his head, more so in denial than disagreement. "What in the hell am I suppose to do?" Damon nearly groaned.

"Promise her," Alaric said.

"I won't let her die, Ric," Damon said, fiercely.

"Listen to me," Alaric said. "Go home and promise her whatever she wants to hear and I'll do some research on Originals. I'll find a way to kill them. When I find something, I'll tell you and we'll go from there, okay? We'll find a way to keep her safe."

Damon sighed, but nodded.

* * *

Elena was curled up on the couch, absentmindedly rubbing a finger over her bloated belly. Damon had been gone for close to two hours and she didn't want to leave. She needed to see him again and beg him to understand. She knew he was upset for lying to him and even more for making a deal sealing her death, but if it meant everyone she loved surviving, she'd do it without blinking an eye. She couldn't go home until he made that promise to her. She needed to know that Damon would be in her daughter's life. She wanted to know that it would be Damon raising her and taking care of her and teaching her about herself and the world. She knew that if Damon wouldn't, Caroline and Tyler would take care of her and raise her like their own, but damn it, she wanted it to be Damon.

She heard the click of the door unlocking and then the door swinging open. A few seconds later Damon was walking in, a much more calm expression on his face. He didn't say anything. Instead, he just walked over to the couch and sat beside her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his lap. They sat like that for what felt like a very, very long time.

Finally, she couldn't take the silence any longer. "Damon, I-"

"Shhh," he said, pressing his finger to her mouth, silencing her. "I promise. I promise that if something ever happens to you, I'll take care of her."

She sighed in relief and sat up to look at his face. It was calm and cool. "Thank you," she said.

"Don't thank me yet, Elena," he said, in a serious tone. "Because I also promise you that I will fight with every last breath in body to stop this from happening. Even if I have to go to hell and ask the devil himself for help, I'll do it."


	21. Chapter 21

**Sorry guys, I'm moving so I've been busy with packing and stuff, so I haven't had a huge amount of time to write. There's probably going to be less than ten chapters left in this story. I can't say I'm super sad this is going to end, but I'm not super happy either. I'm kind of in between. I'm thinking of doing a sequel, but I haven't decided yet and if I do it'll be quite a while from now. Thanks for the alerts and reviews!**

* * *

"Come on, Damon," Alaric said, disapproval clear in his voice. "Do you honestly think this is going to work?"

"Well, since the Martin witches have been less than helpful," Damon said, "This is the only plan B I can think of."

"But this is dumb," Alaric said, vainly trying to get through that rock hard head of his.

"Calm down, Ric," Damon said, rolling his eyes at his friend's pessimistic attitude. "What's the worst that can happen?"

Alaric scoffed. "Um lets see," he said, incredulously. "One, it could not work. Two, it could not work _and_ I actually stake you. Three, it does work and I get my head ripped off because Elijah thinks I'm actually trying to kill you."

Again, Damon rolled his eyes. "One, you aren't actually going to stake me. Two, Elijah isn't going to kill you because you're on Elena's list and three, stop being such a pessimist."

"I'm not being a 'pessimist.' I'm being a 'realist,'" Alaric argued, though he knew he had already lost this battle. Damon would do what he wanted to do and it was better for Alaric to be here and make sure he didn't actually get himself killed.

"Same thing," Damon said. "Now, come on. Let's get this show on the road. I don't have all day."

"Yeah, you do actually," Alaric reminded him. "No guys allowed at the baby shower remember?"

Damon frowned, remembering how a week ago Elena had informed him that he would not be allowed in the house from twelve to six because Jenna was throwing her a baby shower. When Damon had not so subtly reminded her that it was _his_ house and he didn't see why _he_ had to be kicked out, she reminded him that technically, it was _her_ house now. About a week after her graduation, Damon had his lawyers bring over the deed to his house and had Elena sign it. This way, the only vampires that could get in were the ones she wanted in. Oh, how she had played that one up. She wouldn't invite Damon in for almost thirty minutes until he agreed to be her slave. He refused because she was talking about an actual slave, slave, not a sex slave. If it had been the latter, he would have agreed immediately. Finally, after a few threats of no sex until after the baby was born, he agreed. So for the last two months, he has been at her beckon call. It didn't really bother him, but the moment the requests started getting really ridiculously, he was backing out. She couldn't _un_invited him. So far, the worst thing he had to do was agree to let his house become a baby haven. When he left this morning, the house was decorated in pink baby things. Rattles, bottles, diapers, toys… you name it, it was there.

He shook his head, sighing. "Don't remind me," he said.

Alaric rolled his eyes and laughed. "Come on, daddy, you know you love it."

Damon scowled, his lips pressing down into a hard, flat line. It was answer enough and Alaric started laughing again. "You don't have to hide it," Alaric said, smiling widely. "You love it."

"I do _not_ love being kicked out of my own house so four women can gossip and discuss our sex life," Damon said, his scowl deepening. He'd never been to a baby shower before, but he did watch movies. He knew how these things worked. Sure, there would probably be presents and games and all that crap he'd overheard Elena talking to Jenna about, but he knew they'd also be analyzing his every move, good bad or otherwise. It made him feel weird and awkward.

"Whatever you say," Alaric said, raising his hands.

"Now lets _please_ go this already," Damon said, impatiently.

"Elena is going to kill us if she finds out," Alaric warned.

Damon narrowed his eyes and gave him a pointed look. "Elena isn't going to find out because we aren't going to tell her."

"I know!"

"And you aren't going to tell Jenna either," Damon said, his eyes narrowing even more.

The saying "If looks could kill" ran through Alaric's head. "I'm not going to tell Jenna or Elena," Alaric said. "I promise."

Damon nodded. "Good, lets get this show on the road."

Alaric sighed, still not happy about this. But instead of continuing to argue, he raised the pointed stake and with as much force as he could brought it down, angled at the exact spot Damon's heart was. Before it was halfway down, the stake was out of his hand and flying across the woods, past the trees.

"_What_ are you doing?" Elijah's level, Aristocrat voice asked, clearly annoyed. He was standing beside them, a disapproving look on his usually blank face.

Damon smiled a victory smile and said, "I thought that might get your attention."

"I'm assuming you want something?" Elijah asked, looking between Alaric and Damon. His disapproving stare rested on Alaric. "Or do you attempt to stake your friend for entertainment purposes?"

Alaric kept quiet, deciding to let Damon handle this one, since it was his idea.

"You aren't an easy man to find," Damon explained. "I had to get your attention somehow."

"Well, you've got it," Elijah said. "Now, what do you want?"

"I'm sure your witches have told you about the latest developments?" Damon asked, raising an eyebrow.

Elijah nodded. "I have been informed."

"Then you should know I can't let you take her," Damon said, the warning clear in his voice.

A look of puzzlement shone on Elijah's face. "She must have informed you of the plan then," Elijah said, sounding slightly surprised. "She told me she didn't plan on telling you, or anyone for that matter."

"Well, things have changed since then," Damon said. "She has a child to worry about now."

"The child will be safe," Elijah said, his cool monotone not comforting Damon in the least.

"But if you do this sacrifice, she'll be without a mother!" Damon exclaimed.

"Damon, it was Elena's choice to keep you in the dark about this," Elijah said. "It was also her choice to tell you, so her child will have a parent to be taken of by. I can not help that. I have been lenient. I could have taken her away from you all and you would have never seem her again. I've given her choices, many more than Klaus would have given her. This was the deal. I can not change that."

"There's got to be something you can do," Damon argued, his jaw and hands clenching.

Elijah shook his head. "There is nothing I can do," he said and began to walk away

"Then I'll turn her," Damon threatened. Alaric's mouth dropped open and Elijah froze mid step. And then he was in front of Damon, an inch away from his face. A threatening, cold stare was on Elijah's face.

"The baby is going to be born in another month anyways," Damon continued. "That's not too early of a delivery. I know a doctor that will deliver that baby tonight and the moment she's out, I'll turn Elena. A vampire doppelganger won't work, will it?"

"Do that," Elijah deadpanned, "And I will rip your spine out through your mouth."

"Then I suggest you find some way to call off the sacrifice or keep her alive," Damon said, his voice equally as cold as Elijah's.

"I don't take kindly to being threatened Mr. Salvatore," Elijah said.

"Neither do I," Damon said. "Nor do I like being told my girlfriend is going to be killed, leaving her child without a mother."

"You seem to forget how generous I have been," Elijah said. "Like I said before I could have taken her way from you, but I didn't. I allowed her to continue to live her life."

"Then find a way to keep allowing her to live her life," Damon said. "Find a way to keep her alive."

"You're either very stupid, or very brave to threaten an Original."

Damon shrugged, smirking. "I've been called both."

"Perhaps I'll look for a way to keep her alive," Elijah said. "Even after the sacrifice, but I promise you this: when I come for her, if she is anything less than human, I will kill you, her and anyone you have ever cared about."

Damon nodded once. "Then we have a deal."

* * *

"Have you thought of any names yet?" Jenna asked. She, Elena, Caroline and Bonnie were all sitting on the couch, surrounded by baby presents that Elena had just unwrapped.

"Kind of," Elena said, remembering how she and Damon had stayed up almost all night going through baby name books. He had complained nonstop about it but she could tell by the smile on his face he enjoyed it. "We like Anneliese for a middle name but haven't decided on a first name yet."

"That's pretty!" Caroline exclaimed and Bonnie and Jenna nodded in agreement.

"So how are you and Damon these days?" Jenna asked, curiously.

"Great," Elena said, smiling. It was true too. Almost too great. She knew Damon was still upset with her for keeping the exact details of the sacrifice from him, even if he wouldn't admit it. They hadn't talked about it much in the last two months and that worried Elena. He had said that he would fight what was suppose to happen, but as far as she knew, he hadn't done anything. She was terrified of what he was going to do, but she had no idea how to stop it.

"So he's liking the idea of becoming a daddy?" Caroline asked.

Elena nodded. "He won't admit it, but he's excited. He never thought he could have a family and now he does."

Bonnie laughed, shaking her head. "Damon Salvatore, a daddy. I never thought I'd see that one coming."

"Well, I think its sweet," Caroline said, smiling happily. "Now we all know he isn't the ass he so desperately wants everyone to think he is."

"I resent that!" a familiar voice called out, just before Damon and Alaric appeared in the doorway of the parlor.

"Hey, you aren't suppose to be here!" Caroline exclaimed, her eyes narrowing at them.

"But its six," Damon said, innocently, waving his cell phone in the air.

"Is it really that late?" Elena asked as Damon sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"Yep," he said, popping the "p." He looked around at all the baby toys and clothes. "How many people were invited to this thing again?"

Elena laughed. "Just these three."

"We've been talking about our baby showers since we were little kids," Caroline defended. "We've had years to plan and make this perfect."

"Alright, Blondie," Damon said, using his old nickname for her, though there was no sarcasm in his voice. "Whatever you say."

"I should probably get going," Bonnie said, sighing and standing up. "I have a date at eight."

"We should probably get going too," Jenna said, motioning to her and Alaric.

"And I guess that's my cue to go then too," Caroline said, standing up.

They all gave a Elena a hug and made their way to the door, saying they would talk to them later. Finally, Elena and Damon were alone.

"So what did you do today?" she asked curiously .

"Nothing very exciting," Damon said, shrugging. "Went to the Grill with Ric."

"Is that it?" she asked, getting a feeling Damon did more than he let on.

He nodded and smiled down at her. "That's it," he said. He stood up suddenly, an excited smile on his face. "I have a surprise for you. A gift."

Elena raised an eyebrow. "Does it have anything to do with the room you haven't let me in in the last month?"

"The very one," he said. He reached out a hand to her, pulling her up. He stood behind her, covering her eyes. "Alright, start walking."

"I'm going to kill myself," she said, giggling.

"I would never let that happen," Damon disagreed. He gave her a small push. "I'll lead you, don't worry."

"Alight, just tell me where to go."

He lead her down the hallway to the stairs, up them, and finally down a long hallway.

"Alright, stop," he said as they approached the door. He dropped his hands. "Don't peak."

"Okay," she said.

He opened the door and said, "Take two steps forward. Good, now open your eyes."

She opened her eyes and gasped as she looked at the room before her. It was the nursery. The walls were a light, light pink with crown molding trimming it, the floors were a dark wood, the décor theme was white and pink. A chandelier hung from the ceiling.

"You did this?" she asked, in disbelief.

He nodded. "I did."

"Its beautiful," she said, stepping in. She went to the crib and touched the soft material and then to the curtains. She turned to him, a brilliant smile on her face. "I love it."

"I'm glad," he said, smiling widely.

"What about Ivaney?" she asked, suddenly. "As a first name?"

"Ivaney Anneliese Salvatore," he said, slowly. "I like it."

She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. "Me too."

* * *

**Here's a link to what I imagined the nursery to look like:**

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	22. Chapter 22

**I'm super sorry for the long wait! I've been busy with finishing up classes and my internet has been bipolar lately, so I haven't had the chance to update. There aren't too many chapters left and then we'll be done! R and R. **

* * *

Elena should have realized sooner that Damon had been up to something while the baby shower had been in progress two weeks ago. He was damn good at hiding his emotions, but she'd something in his eyes- and Alaric's- that made her suspicious. But then Damon had side tracked her with the nursery and the last two weeks had been so busy getting every last minute little thing together in preparation for the arrival of Ivaney, she'd forgotten all about that day.

At least, until now. Now she knew Damon had been up to something, because standing in front of her right outside the entrance of the Salvatore Boarding House, was Elijah.

Of course, Elijah could also be here to take her to Klaus, but she just didn't think that was the case.

"Elijah," Elena said, sounding breathless from surprise.

"Elena," Elijah said, giving her a nod and a small smile.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, suspicion giving way to surprise.

He sighed. "I'm here to talk to you about the curse," he said. "Among other things."

"Oh," she said, not sure whether or not to invite him in. No, the whole point of this arrangement was so no one could get in. Instead of inviting him inside, she stepped out and closed the door behind her.

"Is Damon here?" he asked.

"No," she said. Damon had left with an explanation of "Alaric" and she hadn't questioned him. Whatever it was they were doing, she didn't want to know about. "He's out."

Elijah's eyebrows furrowed. "Call him home," he said, his words sounding more like a command rather than a request. "He'll want to be here."

"Is everything okay?" Elena asked, a horrible feeling forming in the pit of her stomach. Was there something wrong with their plan? Was Klaus close by? Could Elijah stop him?

"It will be," Elijah said, carefully choosing his words. "But now that the time has grown closer, I need you to understand some things."

"Close by?" Elena asked, swallowing.

Elijah nodded. "We have a trail on Klaus," he explained. "If things go as we suspect them too, Klaus will arrive on the next full moon.

Elena's eyes widened and her head spun. The next full moon? That was three weeks away. Ivaney would barely have been born by then and Elena would be ripped away from her. She knew that her daughter would have Damon- no matter how many times Damon said "you're going to leave her alone" or "you're daughter," Elena knew that Damon wouldn't leave Ivaney alone. He said those things to try and scare her into changing the deal. Damon loved Ivaney just as much as she did, and would raise her like she was his own. And in both of their eyes, Ivaney was his. But this was too soon. Elena didn't want to leave Ivaney so soon.

She felt tears fill her eyes. "The next full moon?" she repeated.

Elijah nodded. "Call Damon," he said. "We have things to discuss."

Ten minutes later, Damon was pulling up in the driveway. On the outside, he appeared calm but Elena knew he was freaking out just as much as she was in the inside. His blue eyes held knowing though, and unless she was seeing something, a little hope.

"Elijah," Damon said, nodding at the Original vampire.

"Damon," Elijah said, a hint of displeasure in his tone. "I wish I could say it was nice to see you again."

Damon simply smirked in response.

"Again?" Elena asked, looking between the two vampires.

Elijah looked at Damon to explain and Damon frowned. "You're going to be upset," Damon warned her.

Elena's eyes narrowed. "What'd you do?"

"I… called him here a couple of weeks ago," Damon explained, "to discuss the terms of the deal."

Her hands went to her hips. "What do you mean called?"

Damon sighed, clearly not wanting to explain this. "I had Alaric try to stake me so Elijah would have to come," he explained. "Since I'm on your list of people, I have to be protected."

Elena's eyes widened and she sucked in a breath. "You. Did. _What_?" she hissed. She was going to kill them both. How stupid could they be? Alaric, she could almost understand. He was friends with Damon and therefore wanted to help him, but Damon was old enough to know that was dangerous and stupid.

"I didn't know how else to get his attention," Damon said. "And anyways, it worked."

"So what did you two talk about?" she asked still seething from the little fact of Alaric trying to stake Damon _on his will_.

"Damon wanted me to find a way to keep you alive," Elijah explained.

Elena's eyes widened and she stopped breathing. Had he? Had Elijah found a way to keep her alive? No, she couldn't think like that; she couldn't hope. It would only hurt when she found out he couldn't.

"Did you?" Damon asked, trying to keep the hope out of his voice and eyes.

He pursued his lips. "Centuries ago when Katerina was to be sacrificed as the human doppelganger, I did not want her to have to die, so I had a witch make something for me; an elixir."

"Well, what does it do?" Damon asked, impatiently.

"If Elena were to drink it before the sacrifice, it should allow her to live. She would die, but this elixir restores life."

Elena still couldn't breath. Maybe this elixir would work. Maybe she would live and get to see her daughter grow up, and be with Damon. Maybe she could still have her life. She was dangerously close to hoping.

Damon clearly didn't have her same view on this. "_Should_?" Damon snapped. "It should keep her alive?"

"Damon," Elijah said, sounding annoyed and tired. "There are no guarantees with this. This is the best I can do."

Damon shook his head, not accepting this. "No, we have more time," he said. "We can find something else, something with guarantees."

Elena swallowed.

Elijah remained silent, looking at Elena, allowing her to explain.

"What is it?" Damon asked, noticing this awkward exchange. "What's going on?"

"Elijah thinks that Klaus will be coming here on the next full moon," Elena said. "To perform the sacrifice."

Damon's face went completely blank. He was like a statue: beautiful, hard, frozen.

"Damon," she said, touching his arm.

He still didn't move.

"We need to discuss things," Elijah explained. "Now that the time is so close, you need to be aware of some things."

"Things?" Elena asked, half listening and half worrying about Damon, who was yet to move.

"I have not been completely honest with you," Elijah admitted.

Damon snapped back into focus at that. "What?" he hissed.

Elena stared at Elijah, speechless. What had he lied about? Was he working with Klaus?

"About w-what?" Elena asked.

Elijah sighed. "The Sun and the Moon curse does not exist."

Elena's mouth dropped to the floor.

"What do you mean it doesn't exist?" Damon asked, his eyes narrowed to slits.

"It does not exist," Elijah said simply.

"Then why is Elena going to be sacrificed in three weeks?" Damon asked. He sounded like he was about to murder someone. Elena knew that voice all too well, so she grabbed Damon's hand, holding it tightly in hers.

"There is a curse," Elijah explained. "It's simply not the Sun and the Moon curse."

"Would you please explain what's going on?" Elena asked, her voice tight with stress.

"Klaus is my brother," Elijah said.

Elena stopped breathing and Damon's hand tightened around her own, staring at Elijah.

Elijah gave them a moment to digest this new information before continuing.

"Many, many centuries ago when my family and I were still human, my father found out that my mother had an affair with another man. Klaus is my half brother. My father always suspected this. Klaus was rebellious, stubborn and uncooperative. He was nothing like my father."

"I don't understand," Elena said, her eyebrows furrowing. "What's the curse?"

"Klaus's real father was part of a werewolf bloodline."

Elena eyes widened and she heard Damon's quick intake of breath.

"My father had the man's entire family slaughtered," Elijah said. "Klaus found out and killed my father. Klaus found out about this gene before we became vampires."

"So he's… a werewolf and a vampire?" Elena asked, confused.

Elijah shook his head. "No," he said. "That is where the curse comes in. Witches are responsible for keeping the balance of nature. A vampire with a werewolf gene would disturb the balance, so they put a curse on him that would keep the werewolf gene dormant."

"That's where I come in," Elena whispered.

"The sacrifice of a werewolf, a vampire and the human doppelganger on a full moon will break the curse."

"And Klaus will awaken his werewolf gene," Damon said, speaking for the first time. "He'll become a werewolf and a vampire. A hybrid."

"And a thousand times stronger than both," Elijah said bitterly.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Elena asked. "Klaus is your brother. How do we know this isn't just a ploy to get me to trust you so it will be easier to get me for the sacrifice? How do we know you aren't working with him?"

"I give you my word I am not working with Klaus."

"You lied to us once," Damon said, surprisingly calm. For Damon, at least. "Why should we believe you?"

"I had a family," Elijah said, sounding wistful. "I had brothers and sisters. And over the centuries, one by one, Klaus has taken them away from me. He has hunted them down, ripped them apart and scattered them across the world, so I can not help them."

"So its not about keeping the balance," Damon said.

Elijah shook his head.

"It's about revenge," Elena realized.

"Yes," Elijah said. "You don't have to believe a word I am saying, but either way, Klaus will come here, take you away and perform the sacrifice. If you trust me, you may survive."

Elena ran a hand through her hair, feeling overwhelmed.

"This elixir," Damon began, "do you think it will work?"

"Yes."

"If… if I were to give Elena my blood before the sacrifice, would it somehow counteract the elixir?" Damon asked, intensely.

Elena gaped at Damon and Elijah seemed to think that over. Finally he said, "I don't see why it would. It restores life. I think it will still perform as it should."

Damon nodded. "How exactly do you plan on killing Klaus? I think we deserve to know that."

"Luca and Jonah will obtain a rather large amount of power," Elijah explained. "After the sacrifice, during the transformation, Klaus will be weak. Luca and Jonah can use enough power to weaken Klaus and I'll finish him off."

"How will they get all of that power?" Damon asked suspiciously.

"When witches die a violent death, their powers are left behind, floating if you will," Elijah explained. "Live witches can harness this power."

"But where are you going to get that kind of power?" Elena asked.

"The witch's burial ground," Damon said, flatly.

Elena turned to him. "The what?"

"The Gilbert's, the Fell's, the Salvatore's and the Lockwood's weren't the founding families," Damon explained. "The town already had been founded, by Salem witches. When the 'founding families' found out about these witches, they burned them all at the stake on a field out in the woods."

"And Luca and Jonah can harness this power," Elijah said.

"Andyou're sure it will be enough?" Elena asked, swallowing.

Elijah nodded. "When the time comes, I will arrive and give you the elixir. Klaus will come for you. You must let him take you."

Damon's eyes turned murderous at this but he remained quiet.

"I'll see you soon, Elena," Elijah said, nodding at her. "Damon."

And with that, he was gone.

* * *

Later that night, Damon and Elena were laying in bed, his arms wrapped tightly around her. He was absentmindedly running a finger over her bloated belly. Ivaney was kicking like crazy tonight.

They had told everyone about the newest developments, and everyone was less than thrilled. Especially Bonnie. She said they shouldn't trust Elijah, not completely, but Elena had pointed out that they had no other choice. What could they do? Run? She wasn't putting Ivaney in danger. If they ran and Klaus found them, they would all die. And she couldn't allow that.

"Before the sacrifice, you have to drink my blood," Damon said, quietly.

"Damon," she said.

"No, Elena, listen to me. For once, just listen to me." He sat up, a serious expression on his face- more serious than she'd ever seen. "In a few weeks, you're going to be a mom. We're going to have a child to raise. I can't do that by myself. You promised me a family remember? If you die, I won't have a family."

"What if the elixir works?" she asked. "And what if your blood somehow counteracts it?"

"What if it doesn't?" he asked. "And you die? At least if you have my blood in your system, you'll come back."

She bit her lip, thinking. If the elixir worked, she would come back regardless of whether Damon gave him her blood. At least, Elijah believed that. But if she didn't take his blood and the elixir didn't work, she would die. She would leave her family.

"Okay," she whispered. "Okay."

He closed his eyes, relief written all over his face. "Thank you, Elena. I-"

"Damon," she said, suddenly, her eyes wide.

"What?"

"My water just broke," she said, her voice raising an octave.

His eyes shot open, as wide as golf balls. "_What_?"


	23. Chapter 23

**My God, I am so, so, so, SO sorry! I blame writer's block, my stupid unreliable computer and summer fever. Every time I sat down to write this my mind started wandering to movies or swimming or tanning. I know, I know. I'm such a teenage girl. Anyway, I found this chapter a little hard to write, so I hope it doesn't sound forced. The characters were being difficult and seemed to have a mind of their own.**

**Okay so Fanfiction was being super evil and not letting me upload, so I copied this chapter into an already uploaded chapter, sooooo if there are any mistakes, I'm super sorry!**

* * *

"I said, my water just broke," Elena repeated, watching the emotion dance across his face. Shock. Fear. Shock. Worry. More shock.

"But- but you aren't due for two more weeks," Damon said, like this somehow made her water breaking false. She almost laughed; he would face an entire house full of angry tomb vampires with nothing more than a couple of weapons and a human for help, but the birth of their child scared him to death. Typical vampire male right there.

"Uh, Damon," she said, slowly, "I don't think that really matters."

He pursued his lips. "Are you sure she's coming right _now_?"

She sighed, running a hand over her face and shooting him a look. "Yes, I'm sure," she said. She was _positive_, actually. "Now, come on, we need to go to the hospital."

He nodded. "Okay." His eyes looked a little wild and his voice sounded sure, calm, but she knew Damon. He was completely freaking out in the inside. But Damon was Damon and he would make sure he appeared strong and sure of himself.

She squeezed his hand, her face softening. "Go put the bags in the car," she instructed. "I'll call the doctor and tell her we're coming."

He nodded, but didn't move.

"Damon?"

"Hmm?"

"Now, please?" she asked, giving him a small shove in the right direction.

"Oh!" he said. Like lightening, he was off the bed and was a blur of color as he went to the corner and picked up the bags she had packed a few days. With a gust of wind, he disappeared out of the door. She distantly heard the main door opening and shutting.

She grabbed the phone off of the bedside table and dialed the number Dr. Robin gave her for when the time came. She didn't need to look at the small piece of paper in her night stand for reference; she had memorized it. She tapped her finger on the sheets, holding her breath as the phone rang once, twice, three times until finally: "Hello?"

* * *

Damon threw the bags in the car and stopped long enough to take a breath, not that he was tired. Physically, he didn't need one. But mentally? That was a whole other story. In a couple of hours, he was going to become a dad. A _dad_. Damon Salvatore, bad ass vampire, was about to become a father. He'd never given much thought to whether or not he wanted children when he was human (he always thought of himself as a player, not a family man) and he certainly didn't think about it once he became a vampire. _Vampires can't procreate, though we love to try_. He remembered the day he told Elena that. Had he been wrong. He'd given up any ideas of babies in his future and now one was about to be born.

He ran a hand through his raven hair, mentally telling himself to get it together. He had to be strong for Elena. He needed to be the one to tell her everything was going to be okay, not the other way around. He had to stop being so selfish. He couldn't be selfish anymore. Not when he had a family on the way. Repeating that over and over to himself, he moved at a slower pace into the Boarding House, through the parlor, up the stairs and finally to the bedroom. By the time he stepped into the doorway, he knew his face was as composed as it was going to get.

Elena was sitting on the bed, dressed and ready to go. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, looking much more calm than he felt. But that was Elena- always calm, always ready, always level headed. No wonder she had survived this long in his world. She wasn't the kind of person to back down because things were rough or give up because it was what everyone thought she would do. Elena was easily the best person he'd ever met. He still had no idea what he had done to deserve her.

"Damon?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. He had been staring at her. He always stared at her and she usually ignored it, but there must have been something different in his gaze this time. Her hand rested on her hair, which was thrown up in messy ponytail. "What?" she joked. "Does my hair look bad or something?"

At this he rolled his eyes. Sometimes he forgot she was still a teenage girl. She so rarely mimicked one, that it somewhat shocked him when she said little things like that. He knew she was joking of course, but it still was a surprise. "You look beautiful," he said, truthfully. "You always do."

Now she rolled her eyes. "You're just saying that."

"Absolutely not," he argued.

She shook her head and stood up. "This is no time to argue. We need to go."

Something too close to nervousness for his comfort fluttered in his stomach and he ignored it. He tried to smile his signature smirk -the one Elena pretended to hate but really loved - but it lacked power and luster. Sighing, he quickly changed into jeans and a t-shirt. He reached out his hand and they walked hand in hand down the stairs and to the car. To the next mile stone in both of their lives.

* * *

In the ten minutes it took to get to the hospital, Elena had somehow managed to call the entire gang. Jenna was first. Damon could hear the excitement and fear in her voice, though she also somehow managed to sound calm and reassuring (he needed to take notes). She promptly informed Alaric by whacking him with what he assumed was a pillow. That had been answered by a moan and something that sounded like it would come out of Damon's mouth, not Alaric's. She'd then called Bonnie, who immediately said she would meet them there. He'd heard someone else and was pretty sure who it had belonged to. Who would have known the witch and baby Gilbert would end up together? If Elena heard it too, she didn't comment. Next came Caroline, who literally screamed and began talking so rapidly, neither of them could understand what the hell she was saying.

By the time they reached the hospital, Elena looked pale but refused to admit she was in pain. He hoped it wasn't for his benefit. Yes, the idea of Elena in pain made him furious, but she didn't always need to be strong for him. He would understand if she wasn't.

"Damon, I'm _fine_," she said for the hundredth time at least. He could tell she was getting irritated at being asked the same question so many times, but he couldn't help it. Whatever connected his brain to his mouth felt like it was gone completely. He had no control over what he was saying.

"But Elena-"

She shot him a look that would have made a weaker man run for his life. "I swear to God, Damon, if you ask me that one more time, _you're_ going to be in pain."

The nurse pushing the wheelchair - an older woman with caramel color skin and pink scrubs - let a little laugh escape her lips and sent Damon an apologetic look. He idly wondered how many other fathers she'd given that look. Probably a million.

They stopped at a desk where a receptionist was on the phone and typing like a manic on the keyboard. She didn't look up.

Damon sent her a look she didn't seem to notice and tapped his foot, growing more and more impatient. Elena sighed and patted his arm, telling him to calm down. Just when he was about to explode and start breaking things, he heard a voice a year ago he would never have thought he would be relieved to hear. Dr. Robin, looking happy and excited to see them, was walking down the hallway, a smile on her face.

When she reached them, she leaned down and gave Elena a hug, and patted Damon on the arm. "I have to say," she said. "I've been looking forward to this for quite a while now."

Elena smiled and Damon grimaced. Surely he was just imagining the smug look she shot him and the double meaning behind her words. He was just being paranoid. But then again, he wouldn't put it past her to take serious joy in his state of nervousness and discomfort.

"Us too," Elena said, smiling.

"Well, let's get you set up in a room," she said, and turned to the receptionist. "Kimberly, please get Ms. Gilbert in a room."

The blonde looked up and nodded, before typing something else and standing up. She gestured for them to follow.

* * *

The room was actually fairly nice. It wasn't huge, but it was descent size with a TV, bathroom, small leather coach and multiple chairs. The walls were a bright yellow and decorative pictures hung on it. There was one, however, that made him immensely uncomfortable. It was a diagram of the stages of labor, each picture the baby's head descending just a little bit further.

Elena smiled as she saw what he was looking at. "Damon, come here," she said, patting the spot beside her on the bed.

He nodded, careful to avoid all wires and other contraptions as he made his way to the bed. She slid over a few inches to make room for him, and he sat down, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She wrapped an arm around his waist and rested her head against his chest, sighing.

"You never thought you would be here, huh?" she asked.

"Not once," he admitted. "When I was human, a family was the last thing in the world I wanted and when I became a vampire, I gave up any small idea I had of ever having one."

She began drawing little invisible pictures on his shirt. "You didn't want children when you were a human?"

"No. The entire idea of having a wife and children to care for, to put first, to be with the rest of my life scared me off. That's why before Katherine, I never spent much time on one woman." He knew his words could make her uncomfortable or even hurt her, but this was Elena. She knew his faults (God knows he had plenty of them) and she still loved him.

"And as a vampire?" she asked, quietly.

"I was so hell bent on getting Katherine back, it never crossed my mind," he said. "Not to mention, I thought it was impossible." He laughed then and placed his hand on her belly. "Little did I know, right?"

She laughed too and snuggled deeper into his arms. "And now?"

He squeezed her. "I can't imagine life without either of you."

She was quiet a moment before asking, "Damon, are you scared?"

He wondered whether he should put on a brave face for her and say "no, of course not" or be truthful. He knew of course which one she wanted, but he wasn't sure whether it was right for her or not. Wasn't he suppose to be the rock, protecting her? He looked down at her, hoping to find the answer. She was staring up at him with wide, waiting eyes.

"Yes," he whispered.

She looked relieved and he knew he made the right choice. "Me too," she said.

"Why?" he asked, more to keep her talking (he didn't want silence to think right now) than actual curiosity. He already knew.

"What if I'm a terrible mom?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing. "What if I can't be like my mom? What if I die and I leave her? It's horrible to lose your parents, but at least I knew my mom. If I die, will Ivaney miss me? Is it even possible to miss someone you've never met?"

Damon was surprised. That wasn't what he had been expecting. "You're going to be a terrific mom," he said, one hundred percent sure. "And you're not going to die. She won't have to miss you because you'll be right there."

"You don't know that," she whispered.

"Of course I do," he said, forcing a smile. "I'm always right, remember?"

She smacked him on the chest but smiled just a little. "This isn't the time for joking, Damon."

"I know that," he said, "and I'm not."

"So I'm worrying for nothing?"

He nodded. "Exactly."

"Well, why are you scared?"

Damn it. He had been hoping to avoid that question. Of course, he had set himself up for that one. "You know why," he said quietly, hoping she would leave it alone.

"Do not."

He sighed.

"I told you," she pointed out. "Now you have to tell me."

"I'm not a good person, Elena," he said. "I'm not even a person. Not really. I'm a _vampire_. I'm compulsive and impatient and selfish. Hardly material that makes a good father. I'm not caring and compassionate and good. I'm not-" He cut off quickly, wishing he could take it back.

"Stefan," she said quietly. "You're not Stefan."

He nodded, swallowing.

She unwrapped herself from him and sat up, shaking her head. "You're right, you're not Stefan," she said, poking her finger in his chest. "And I'm pretty damn happy about that. Where is Stefan right now, Damon? Because it isn't here. _You're_ here right now. And I can't believe you would even think that you aren't caring and compassionate and good. When you love something, you are the most caring and compassionate person I've ever met. You're kind and loving and good at heart."

"How can you say that after everything I've done? To you, to your family? To my own brother?"

"You pretended to be a monster so long, you finally convinced yourself you are one," she said. "But you're not. And as for everything you've done… well, we all make mistakes don't we?"

He shook his head in disbelief. "What in the hell did I ever do to deserve you?"

She smiled and opened her mouth - and was promptly cut off by a gasp. Her face twisted in pain and she clutched his hand, her breath coming out in pants.

He held her hand and rubbed her back, feeling completely useless. When it was over, she took a deep breath and smiled up at him, her face pale. "Here we go," she said.

"Here we go," he repeated.

* * *

Her scream propelled him out of his seat, only to be stopped by a hand. Alaric, looking tired and strangely old, shook his head and pushed him back into his seat. "Not yet, Damon," he said, quietly.

Damon thought about ripping his best friend's arm right out of its socket and running into that room, but stopped. The doctor told him to wait out here and even though he would rather gouge out his own eyeballs than admit it out loud, she knew more about this kind of stuff than he did. She wasn't hurting Elena; she was helping. And Alaric was just trying to help also.

Still, he was seeing red.

He heard her scream again and he dropped his head into his hands, groaning. _He needed to be in there_. He needed to be in there holding her hand and not out here waiting with Alaric. He had been waiting alone, but Jenna had sent Alaric in hopes of calming him down. It wasn't working. He was just grateful she didn't send Jeremy or Bonnie or - God forbid - Caroline. He would have killed them and then gone into the room anyways.

Alaric shook his shoulder, a weak attempt at comforting him. "She's in good hands, Damon," he said. "They're just helping her."

Damon raised his head enough to glare at him. "I know," he said, his voice venomous. "But _I'm_ suppose to be in there. Not _strangers_."

Before Alaric could reply - with something completely unhelpful, no doubt - the door opened and Dr. Robin came out.

Damon rose from his seat so quickly, it hit the back of the wall with a thud.

"It's time, daddy," she said, gesturing to the room. "If you plan on attending, you better come in now."

Damon was in the room in a flash, Alaric's, "Good luck" trailing behind him.

* * *

"Come on, Elena," Dr. Robin said. "You're so close."

"I can't," Elena said, red faced and panting. She'd been pushing for a good thirty minutes and was using the last sliver of energy she had just to sit up, and even then, Damon was helping her do that. He had one hand on her back, the other in her hand. To have so little energy, Damon had no idea how she squeezed his hand like that. He swore she'd broken at least one of his fingers.

"One more big push and you're baby will be here," she said.

Elena groaned and dropped her head back, trying to catch her breath.

Damon squeezed her hand and leaned in close to her, trying to create their own little bubble where only they existed. Everything else just bled away, leaving just them. "Elena," he said, quietly, "you can do this."

"No I can't," she said, looking beyond exhausted. It was early in the morning and she hadn't gotten any sleep that night. She's refused any kind of pain medication, saying she didn't want Ivaney anywhere near drugs (Damon had argued, but of course, she won in the end) so she hadn't been able to get any sleep.

"She's so close," he said, pushing her hair out of her face "One more push and you get to hold your daughter."

She nodded and gripped his hand tighter. With a look of determination, she pushed harder than she had before. After one more scream, she gasped and fell back against the mattress. A new little voice, high pitched and crying, filled the room.

Damon watched as Dr. Robin held up the tiniest little person he'd ever seen. She was screaming and crying, wiggling in the doctor's hands. She had a head full of dark hair and the same olive colored skin as her mother.

"Want to cut the umbilical chord, dad?" Dr. Robin asked.

Damon stood up, his eyes on the little baby. She dominated his every thought, every move. He barely registered being handed a pair of medical scissors and cutting the chord. He returned back to Elena's side, in a dreamlike quality.

Elena was laughing and crying and he kissed her, smiling widely. "She's beautiful," he said. "She looks just like you."

"Can I see her?" Elena asked eyes full of wonder and excitement as she watched Dr. Robin wrap her up.

Dr. Robin lifted the now pink little bundle up and walked over to them. "Of course," she said and placed Ivaney in Elena's outstretched arm.

Even sweaty and exhausted, he'd never seen Elena so beautiful. She was glowing as she watched her- no, _their_- daughter wiggle and squirm, trying to adapt to her new environment. Tears rolled down her cheek as she rubbed Ivaney's red cheek. She looked up at Damon.

"You're right, she is beautiful," she said.

"Just like you," he said, leaning down and kissing her.

He gently lowered his hand and touched her dark head, careful not to be too rough or quick. She looked positively _breakable_. With one more little cry, Ivaney opened her eyes. They were green. A bright, leaf green. He would have thought he would feel bitter seeing this, the color of his brother - her biological father's eyes - but he could feel nothing but love. Love for her and Elena and even for Stefan, who he wanted to shove through a wall for leaving them all. But it was impossible to feel anything but love and happiness at this moment.

"Told you I would give you a family," Elena said, grinning.

* * *

**And little Ivaney is born! I hope you guys aren't too disappointed that I cut the whole labor part out. I tried to write it, but it sounded terrible.**

**So I've posted a poll on my profile and I want you guys to check it out. It's of what idea you want me to make into a story next. Of course, it will be awhile before I begin which ever one is chosen. I'm going to have to be a lot further in my stories to start a new one. Anyway, check it out and don't forget to review!**


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